LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



siieif..SK.333 
Ji-UV9 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



X 



Scientific Duck Shooting 



IN 



Eastern Waters, 



BY 



RUSSELL SCUDDER NYE, 



> < 



Copyrigrht, 1895. All rights reserved. 




1895. '^'_'?^. 

Independent Press, ^ X j b n \ 

Spencer & West, Proprietors, ^\ 

Falmouth, Mass. 



/v^ 



TO 

/\. B. T., 

In recognition of a highly es- 
teemed friendship and as a token 
of mv most sincere rec^ard, this 
book is dedicated, with the best 
wishes of 

THE AUTHOR. 

Falmouth, Septetnbei- 3, iSg^. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 



The start. — •* Gardner's." — Wequaquet Lake. — Coleman's 
Island. — A successful shot. — Reminiscences. 



CHAPTER II. 

We lose our dog. — Stalking a bunch of wild fowl. — "I have 
left the key at home ! " — A shot at wild fowl. — I over- 
sleep. — Black duck shooting over live decoys. — Home- 
ward bound. 



CHAPTER III. 

Again at Coleman's Island. — Camping out. — Old-time 
ducking scenes. — Gardner tells a story. — A sleepless 
night. 



VI CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER IV. 



A shot by moonlight. — Our neighbors across the way. — 
More ducks. — A trip to Quauk Island. — A pair of gray 
ducks. — A shot at Teal. — A big flock of ducks. — An 
exciting moment. — "Rattled." — Our neighbors again. 
— Gull shooting. — Better luck. — Farewell to Coleman's 
Island. 



CHAPTER V. 



A trip along the south shore. — Stony Point, — White wing 
coots. — In camp. — Our first sight of ducks. — We se- 
cure a shot. — "Tramp." 



CHAPTER VI. 



Before the campfire. — Duck shooting by moonhght. — A 
morning's sport.-^A lively chase. — A game dinner. — 
A good shot. 



CHAPTER VII. 



We replenish our larder. — A surprise party. — What Billy 
and I had for supper. — Billy spins a yarn. — The 
strange story of a wild goose. — We secure ourselves 



CONTENTS. vii 



against tramps. — The storm. — We kill an Indian goose. 
— The gale mcrcases. — Better weather at last. — A shot 
at ducks. — Crossing the lake in a northwester. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

A turtle hunt. — Turtle lore. — We start for camp. — A wild 
night crossing the lake. — We entertain visitors. — Scien- 
tific duck shooting. — The sheldrake that " quacked." 
An excursion to the mainland. — Repairing the camp. 
— Duck shooting under difficulties — Chasing cripples. 
— A trip to the village. — A battle with the elements. — 
We reach camp. — We prepare supper. — The camp 
afire. — We finally get to sleep and awake to find our- 
selves on an island.— A parting shot. — Breaking camp. 
— Conclusion. 



PREFACE. 



It has been said on g3od authority that a man will go 
farther to kill a duck than to do anything else in the world. 
However true that may be certain it is that among no class 
of sportsmen is there to be found greater ardor and enthu- 
siasm than among the duck shooting fraternity. 

Of all the duck species which inhabit the waters of this 
country, the black duck, Anas Obscura, or black mallard as 
it is commonly called in the West, and of which the follow- 
ing chapters principally tieals, is the hardest to circumvent 
and bring to bag. Of an exceedingly shy and wary dispo- 
sition, made so from the fact he seldom frequents deep 
waters but is usually to be found in shallow lakes and 
streams in close proximity to marshes covered with waving 
grass or tall rushes and wooded shores, whose projecting 
points may at any time conceal an enemy, this grand bird 
has learned never to consider himself safe without a long 
reach of water intervening between him and the danger- 
lurking shore. 

The difficulties which attend his capture however only 



lO PREFACE. 

serve to make him the more a prize to be sought after, and 
especially dear to the heart of the eastern gunner, to whom 
he is regarded as the most desirable of his species. In 
order therefore that bis pursuit may be attended with suc- 
cess it is necessary that the sportsman should use the most 
scientific methods yet known to the art of wild fowl shoot- 
ing, which in the case of the black duck in eastern waters 
is without doubt the use of live decoys. 

Among the many localities scattered along the entire 
length of the Atlantic seaboard where the sport of duck 
shooting can still be engaged with pleasure and profit, there 
is probably no more favored locality than Cape Cod, whose 
wave- washed shores abounding in sheltered coves and quiet 
bays, with partially submerged marshes extending far inland, 
and flats, made bare by the receding tides, offer to the wild 
fowl feeding grounds unsurpassed in variety and abundance, 
while the many lakes and ponds which He snugly sheltered 
among the low lying hills and uplands furnish an abundant 
supply of fresh water, a luxury which Anas Obsciira will not 
deny himself of, for any length of time, he being willing to 
take extraordinary risks after having been deprived of his 
bath for a few days. 

It was at such a lake as I have here described, one of 
the fairest among the many lovely sheets of water that nes- 
tle deep among the Cape Cod hills, that in company with 
boon companions I was permitted to enjoy for several suc- 
cessive seasons what is to me the sport par excellence, duck 
shooting over live decoys. 

The Author. 



SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

IN EASTERN WATERS. 



CHAPTER I. 



" These are the tales, or new or old, 
In idle moments idly told. 
Flowers of the field with petals thin, 
Tallies that neither toil nor spin." 

JT was a warm, sunny day in October — one of those 
bright, beautiful days for which our New England 
autumns are noted. We were sitting in the office, 
looking wistfully out of the window at the ever- 
changing panorama of sea and sky, woods and fields, 
over which the hush of autumn had fallen, and 
wishing most of all for a vacation. The office-boy 
came in with the mail and, running it over leis- 
urely, we noticed the familiar handwriting of an old friend 
and sportsman ; and, eagerly opening the letter, it was 
found to contain an invitation to spend a few days with him 
in camp at Coleman's Island, for duck shooting. It did 
not take us long to decide, and the next mail carried to our 
friend a glad acceptance of his kind invitation ; and the 



12 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

following day found us at the Falmouth station, on the 
Woods HoU branch of the Old Colony Railroad, laden with 
guns, amunition and our light baggage — for we always travel 
light when on a sporting trip, believing thoroughly in the 
sage advice of 'Nessmuck," that we do not go to the 
woods to rough it, but to smooth it, and that an excess of 
camp equipage is a useless incumbrance. We reached 
Buzzards Bay shortly after eight o'clock, and there had to 
wait nearly three hours for the down train, which would 
leave us at West Barnstable, from which we would cross to 
the South Shore by stage. We reached Centreville, our boy- 
hood's home, shortly after noon and not too late for dinner ; 
and, after spending the remainder of the afternoon in ramb- 
ling about the village and looking up old acquaintances, 
found ourselves at Gardner's store early in the evening, that 
being the general rendezvous for all the sportsmen in the 
neighborhood. Receiving a warm welcome from Gardner, 
we spent the evening with him, learning from him that the 
ducks were coming in quite plentifully, and that the after- 
noon- flight that day had contributed several pairs of black 
ducks to his already well-stocked larder. 

Bidding us to be on hand by four o'clock the next 
morning, we part for the night, and. going to our stopping- 
place, are soon asleep and dreaming of ducks. The little 
alarm clock at our side awakens us with a sudden start just 
as we are in the act of making a most extraordinary shot at 
an imaginary flock of black ducks, and springing to our 
feet we find it is already growing light and nearly four 
o'clock ; so, hastily donning our shooting garb and making 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 1 3 

a raid on the pititry, we secure our gun an1 make our 
exit into the open air withjut disturbing the sleeping in- 
mates. VVe find the morning raw and cold, the stars look- 
ing down at us in a hazy sort of way, and the wind, which 
is slightly breezing from the northeast, predicts a storm ; 
but it is good duck weather and we tramp along in antici- 
pation of plenty of sport before the morning is over, and 
reaching Gardner's house, find him just in readiness to 
start. So, whistling up the dog, a brown and white shaggy- 
coated retriever, we shoulder our guns and start along the 
turnpike, reaching in a few minutes the woodland path 
which leads to the p >nd, the shares of which we reach after 
a half-hours's tramp. 

The water was so low this year that the use of a boat 
was not necessary in order to reach the island, as with top 
boots one could easily wade across the narrow neck of land 
separating the island from the mainland, and by picking 
out the shallow places, which we are obliged to do by feel- 
ing for tdem in the darkness with the toe of our boot, we 
succeeded in getting across dry and without creating any 
perceptible noise, which at this point was a great desidera- 
tum, being in such close proximity to the shooting grounds ; 
for the black duck must be approached with the utmost 
silence and caution, else a startled quack and roar of wings 
of the frightened flock will be the only reward of the cha- 
grined hunter, in place of the successful shot and well- 
earned bag of ducks. For this reason, if for no other, in 
black duck shooting it is always desirable to camp near the 
shooting-grounds, so as to be on hand in the morning, and 



14 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

to have all arrangements completed and absolute silence 
reigning supreme by the first streaks of daylight, for by 
that time the birds are liable to be moving and coming in, 
if indeed they have not already come in during the night 
and are snugly ensconced, with heads under their wing, un- 
der the friendly shelter of some clump of some lily-pads or 
water rushes. 

Owing, however, to the limited time we had to stay 
and the press of business that kept our friend engaged 
evenings, we had departed from the usual order of things on 
this occasion, and were spending our nights at the village, 
though on all our visits since to this celebrated resort we 
have endeavored to spend the nights in camp, the results 
of which will appear in subsequent chapters ; but we are 
digressing, and will go back and take up the thread of our 
narrative at the point where, leaving the mainland behind 
us and crossing the narrow neck only lightly submerged in 
water, we found ourselves on Coleman's Inland with the 
light faintly breaking in the east. 

Stepping carefully up to the shanty door, we unlock 
it and procure a lantern and the keys of the duck-box, and 
then, carefully replacing everything as we found it, we step 
noiselessly along the pathway that leads to the "stand" or 
" blind," through a network of overhanging branches and 
bushes deftly arranged to afford ample protection to the 
gunner in passing to and fro from the "blind," while at the 
same time it enables him to note all that is transpiring upon 
the surface of the water in front and around him. 

Entering the "stand," which consists of a barricade of 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 1 5 

pine trees built nearly to the water's edge, and so deftly- 
covered with branches and bushes as to completely hide its 
real purpose, the passer-by in a boat at a distance of a hun- 
dred yards, or even at fifty, not being able to detect any- 
thing unusual about it, the portholes through which the 
gunner shoots not showing a few rods from the shore, and 
the entire front of the battery being in exact keeping with 
the surrounding vegetation. So perfect is the deception 
t'lat in rowing a boat to them in the night it is oftentimes 
difficult to exactly locate your own "blind." 

By the shaded light of the lantern's feeble rays, the 
duck-box is opened and the decoy ducks fettered (for all 
shooting here is done over live decoys), and while Andrew 
is putting out the decoys we will give you a short descrip- 
tion of Wequakett Lake. 

It is situated in Barnstable town, in the County of 
Barnstable, and connects the villages of Centreville and 
Barnstable. Its shores are for the most part heavily 
wooded, though there are several good farms along its 
eastern shore, where an arm of the lake extends nearly to 
the county road ; notable among the farms is that of Mr. 
Ambrose Lewis, who owuis several miles of the lake shore 
and has a number of acres under a high state of cultivation. 
The lake, covering in extent an acreage of about nine 
miles, is one of the largest bodies of fresh water in the 
State, and is famed chiefly for being a resort for black duck, 
the most wary, gamey and highest-prized of all the birds 
that visit New England waters. It is one of the loveliest 
sheets of water to be found anywhere, its shores thickly 



1 6 SCIEVIIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

Studded with a fine growth of pine, birch and maple, ex 
tending down to a beautiful sand beach, white and shining, 
upon whose shores the miniature billows dance gaily under 
a summer sun, or are lashed into fury when driven before 
the violence of a northeast gale in autumn, sending huge 
breakers, white-cnpped and tempestuous, to dash upon the 
shore with a roar like distant thunder. The shore is very 
prettily broken with it any inlets and coves, and on the 
numerous points that extend out from both sides of the 
pond are located the different camps of the ducking clubs, 
notable among which are the Annable's Point, Stony 
Point, Bliss' Point and Coleman's Island, the scene of our 
present exploits. Lying close by and contiguous to the 
lake are Quawk Island and Bearse's Pond, the latter being 
an excellent shooting place when the wind is olowing heavily 
and it is rough in the big ponds, the birds then seeking the 
smaller ponds on account of the better shelter afforded. All 
of these ponds afford fine fishing for white and yellow perch 
and pickerel, and a large number of people visit them each 
season with good success. The writer remembers one after- 
noon in the early part of September, a number of years ago, 
when, in the company of a friend, he enjoyed as fine fishing 
as can be found anywhere in the State, we having taken, in 
a little over an hour, over one hundred fish of good size. If 
"Joe" should ever happen to fall upon this he will remem- 
ber the day and the rare sport we had. Upon the northern 
shore of the pond rises a stately eminence known as Shoot- 
Flying Hill, from the top of which one can command beau- 
tiful views of the surrounding country ; in fact, nearly the 



IN EASTERN WATERS. I 7 

whole of Cape Cod is here spread out to view, the scenes in 
every direction being fine, and seeming to please whichever 
way you turn. Directly in the foreground, Barnstable Bay 
stretches away for miles, its surface dotted with vessels 
from all quarters of the globe presenting a most pleasing 
and animating picture, u-hile on a clear day the spires of 
Piovincetown, the tip end of Yankee-land, can be plainly 
seen. An observatory has been erected upon the summit 
of the hill and a carriage road built to it, so that it is now 
easy of access, and all visi.tors to the upper Cape towns or 
South Shore villages in search of health, pleasure and recre- 
ation should not consider their outing complete without 
having made the ascent of Shoot-Flying Hill. 

The Messrs. Marston of Centreville have recently pur- 
chased large tracts of lands adjoining these waters, and have 
laid out a road running through the woods on the eastern 
shore, v.-hich furnishes one of the most delightful drives to 
be found anywhere on Cape Cod. These gentlemen have 
also built a commodious boat-house on the southern shore 
of the lake, and have several fast yachts and a steam launch 
there, the lake offering fine facilities for pleasure sailing 
and racing. 

Coleman's Island is owned by Mr. Andrew B. Gardner 
of Centreville, he having purchased the entire property 
several years ago. The island is covered with a sturdy 
growth of pine forest, and from a scenic point of view is, 
n-e think, the finest location about the lake. It is ac- 
knowledged also to be one of the best points from which to 
shoot ducks, and fortunate is the sportsman who receives 



1 8 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

from Mr. Gardner an invitation to spend a few days with 
him at this sylvan retreat. 

But as dayHght is now fast approaching, and Andrew 
having placed the decoys to his liking has returned to the 
stand, we will lay aside all further digression and proceed 
at once to the business of the morning. V\ e can now 
plainly hear the quacking of the decoy ducks ai Annable's 
Point and, turning the glass in that direction, can just make 
out a flock of ducks swimming in to the decoys. In a few 
minutes they are near enough, and, as they draw together, 
a sheet of flame bursts from the portholes of the " blind " 
and a moment later we hear the report of the guns, and by 
the aid of the glass can see the occupants of the stand rush 
out upon the shore and send their dog into the water and 
retrieve the killed and wounded. The balance of the flock, 
which of course flew at the report of the guns are now cir- 
cling high in the air at the farther end of the lake, when 
suddenly four of their number leave the flock and wheel in 
our direction, with the evident intention of going into the 
Sound, instead of back into the bay. As they draw near 
Gardner hastily reaches for a decoy and throwing it high in 
the air it alights by the side of its fellows with many a splash 
and quack. It does the business, for the four wild ducks 
have seen the decoys and come on with a rush, seemingly 
having forgotten the danger from which they have so lately 
escaped, and, coming up side to the wind, they drop easily 
in among the decoys and swim boldly toward the " blind," 
where we lie concealed. We take our places at the port- 
holes and, waiting for them to draw together, Gardner gives 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 1 9 

the word and we fire simultaneously, and rising quickly to 
our feet see but one duck in the air — and that one going at 
about sixty miles an hour, close to the water and already 
fifty yards away. We sent the contents of our remaining 
barrels after him which serves no purpose except to accel- 
erate his flight, and then turned and opened the door of 
the "blind " at which the faithful spaniel is eagerly scratch- 
ing, and, bidding him " Go fetch the birds," he at once 
swam boldly out and brought them in, one at a time, and 
laid them at our feet with a proud and knowing look which 
seemed to say '-Have I not done well?" As we took them 
up and stroked their glossy feathers we felt consoled for the 
loss of the one that sailed away with an utter disregard for 
the effectiveness of our breech-loaders, in the possession of 
the three that remained with us. 

It was now light enough to see all over the lake, and 
we began to see ducks constantly moving in all directions ; 
but they did not decoy well, as the wind rose rapidly when 
the sun came up, and we did not get another shot at black 
ducks that morning, though we killed one widgeon and a 
mackerel gull, which curiously enough flew past us and then 
returned and alighted to the decoys. Whatever prompted 
him to seek fellowship with a tame duck we do not know, 
but he paid dearly for his temerity, and his snow-white 
wing for some time afterwards adorned the hat of a certain 
young lady of our acquaintance. Several shots were fired 
at Annable's and Stony Point, but with no great results — 
at least, so we judged from what we were able to observe 
with the glass. But if the shooting was dull there was 



20 SCIEVriFIC DUCK SHOOTING 



enough else to interest us in listening to the anecdotes of 
Gardner regarding former days when decoys and breech- 
loaders were unknown and ducks were to be had for the 
asking. As the morning wore on and the sky assumed a 
more threatening aspect, we witnessed a grand sight in the 
passage of an immense flock of water-fowl, whistling coots 
we judged them to be, though they flew at such a great 
height that we could not determine for a surety whether 
they were whistling coots or white-wings, though it is prob- 
able that both varieties were represented. They flew 
steadily for over an hour, three, four and five flocks being 
in sight all the time. We judged that nearly three thousand 
birds must have passed over us during the time we stayed 
in the stand. Had the wind been southeast instead of 
northeast there would have been some grand shooting on 
the Centreville beach, as all outward-bound birds pass 
directly over the beach, following down the course of the 
river till it reaches the beach and then crossing over into 
the Sound. It needs a strong souther though to bring them 
down within gunshot, and then fortunate is the sportsman 
who finds himself in the precincts of this sequestered spot 
on a hazy afternoon in October, with the tide at half- flood 
on the Barnstable flats and rapidly rising ; the cosy little 
vfllage in the foreground with the dark and sluggish river 
flowing at your feet, the sombre shadows of the pine forest 
rising to the north, the steep, picturesque bluffs on the 
right and the roar of old ocean at your back, and the cool, 
sweet incense of the salt breeze sweeping over the marsh as 
the moist, damp spray is flung full in your face as some 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 21 



giant breaker comes dashing in upon the strand, sending 
huge volumes of yeasty foam high in air and retreating 
again with sudden roar ; the excited motions and gestures 
of the assembled gunners as they run to and fro to obtain 
the best point of vantage in the wake of the on-coming 
fiocks of white-wings and whistHng coots, sheldrakes, old 
squaws, mackerel gulls, and, if it be late in the season, 
brant and geese, as in rapid succession flock succeeds flock ; 
the cries of "Run to the eastward," or "Run to the west- 
ward," as the birds are first sighted far in the distance — 
thin, wedge-shaped columns darkly defined against the 
October sky, as they move swiftly along with almost military 
precision, now veering slightly to one direction and then to 
another, thus giving to the sport the constant element of 
uncertainty as to where they will pass, until, as they draw 
near and sight the broan waters of the Sound, they 
straighten on their course and, lowering their flight, come 
on with a mighty rubh of swiftly beating pinions, while from 
all sides they are greeted with the flash and roar of fowling- 
pieces, and, leaving many of their number behind, the re- 
mainder of the flock are soon secure from harm far out 
upon the surface cf the broad Atlantic. Many times in 
years gone by has the v/riter been a participator in these 
scenes, the recalling of which now brings a pleasure only 
equalled by the actual occurences themselves ; and we call 
to mind that when but a boy and not allowed to carry a 
gun, it was our chief delight to accompany our grandfather 
or uncles, all of whom were keen sportsmen and capital 
shots, and who could always be counted upon to be on hand 



2 2 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

on a fine flying-day. and, snugly ensconced among the tall 
waving beach grass which served as a protection from the 
cold, have lain for hours, an interested spectator of all that 
transpired, our senses lulled into a dreamy contentment 
and repose, wooed by the siren voice of the south wind. 
Some noted shots used to be present on those days, many 
of whom have now laid aside the fowling-piece forever, and 
some of whom yet remain and practice their old-time sport 
with all the enthusiasm of former days, and who can still 
drop their doubles right and left, with the same old-time 
skill that used to be our ever-increasing wonder and ad- 
miration. 

We watch the last flock disappear in the distance, a 
m.ere speck upon the horizon, and are reminded of the 
poet's lines : — 

" Vainly the fowler's eye might mark thy distant flight to do thee harm, 
As, darkly painted on the crimson sky, thy figure floats along." 

A sweeping glance with the glass along the horizon and 
across the surface of the lake, revealing no ducks, Gard- 
ner thinks we might as well give it up for this morning ; so 
the decoys are accordingly taken in, everything is made 
snug and tidy about the stand, and, stowing our birds in- 
side the capacious pockets of our hunting coats and 
whistling up the dog who is contentedly taking a nap in the 
corner of the stand, we shoulder our guns and tramp back 
to the village, picking up several partridges and and squir- 
rels on our way through the woods, arriving at the village 
in time for a late breakfast, which is none the less appre- 
ciated by being long delayed. 



CHAPTER II. 




(3j/r% REAKFAST being over we dress the ducks, turning 
them over to the cuhnary department (said de- 
partment giving a good account of itself later on) , 
and spend the balance ot the morning principally 
in getting rested. At twelve o'clock dinner is announced, 
to which at least one of the party does ample justice, 
stewed ducks being the bill of fare. 

Contrary to our expectations, the weather had grown 
milder, the wind veering from the northeast to the south- 
west, and the angry-looking clouds of the morning had 
cleared away before the biisk southwester. The sun shone 
clear and warm, and about two o'clock we strolled around 
to Gardner's place of business and found him all ready to 
try the afternoon flight. A few moments sufficed to attend 
to the wants of several customers who had just come in, 
and then, whistling for the dog and locking the shop door, 
we were ready to proceed ; but a new difficulty now pre- 
sented itself The dog could not be found, and though we 



24 SCIENTIl'IC DUCK SHOOTING 

whistled and called, it was to no purpose ; he failed to show 
up, and we were obliged to go without him. It was not so 
bad, however, for (jardner kej)t his boat at the island, and 
we could retrieve with that, providing we killed any birds. 

We enjoyed the tramp through the woods, the weather 
being perfect ; and, while we had already been over the 
ground twice that day Vv'e did not mind the fatigue, and 
soon reached the shore. Gaining the point, we started to 
walk across, when our attention was attracted by a large 
flock of water fowl that had swum in towards the shore and 
were now within shooting distance of the margin, if we 
could but reach it without making our presence known to 
them. We crept carefully along and gained the island, 
which, with its dense growth of underbrush and pine forest, 
afforded us sufficient protection to allow us to reach the de- 
sired spot without being seen — by dint of much crawling 
and v/orming ourselves along — though it was hard work, as 
our path was plentifully strewn with briars, which protruded 
their sharp thorns into our clothing and hands and even 
into our faces ; one giant and over-hanging limb having the 
audacity to pluck off our hat and hold it suspended in the air 
where it was found and recovered on our return. But we 
pushed bravely on amidst all obstacles, till we reached a 
place from which we could shoot, and then carefully raising 
our heads, found that the birds had taken alarm and swum 
out beyond gun-shot. 

This was disappointing, but there was no help for it so 
we tramped back to where we left the path, and regaining it 
soon reached the camp, or ''shanty," as Gardner termed 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 25 

it. Putting his hand to his pocket for the key, he turned to 
us with a look of blank amazement depicted on his coun- 
tenance, at the same time ejaculating " I have left the key 
at home!" Here was a dilemma, as Gardner's favorite 
gun was inside, together with the ammunition and oars, 
and as the dog had of necessity been left behind, we were 
dependent entirely upon the boat for retrieving — and that 
would also be worthless without the important adjunct of 
oars and rowlocks. 

We were not to be baffled, however, for inside that 
shanty we must go, and after surveying the situation for a 
few moments we decided that the small window at the end 
of the building was the most vulnerable point of attack ; 
upon this we at once made a vigorous sortie, and soon had 
the satisfaction of seeing our labors rewarded by the re- 
m.oval of the entire window intact. The member of the 
company carrying the least avoirdupois was prevailed upon 
to crawl through the narrow aperture and produce the much- 
required articles, which feat was successfully accomplished 
by dint of much vigorous squeezing, and having become 
possessed of them we proceeded at once to the stand and 
took a long look over the quiet surface of the lake, hoping 
to see a bird or two. 

The field-glass failing to show up anything that looked 
like ducks, we fettered two of the best quackers and putting 
them out in the water at a proper distance from each other 
returned to the stand to enjoy the fine landscape spread 
out before us. It was almost too warm and pleasant for 
ducks to be about in very large numbers, and v/e did not 



26 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

expect to do a great amount of shooting, being well content 
to leisurely while away the hours in the full enjoyment of the 
calm and peaceful autumnal scene. The decoys, too, 
seemed to imbibe the general listlessness that pervaded 
everything, for they soon tired of quacking to an unrespon- 
sive echo, and settling themselves low in the water, with 
heads tucked under their wings, rode lightly at anchor with 
a low, cooing sound of evident satisfaction. 

An hour or two of constant scanning of the horizon 
failing to bring into relief the graceful outlines of the game 
we sought, we at last bethought ourselves of the birds we 
had left in the cove, and our companion volunteered to go 
back to the point from which we had first sighted them and 
see if they were still there. He soon returned with the in- 
formation that they were in about the same position as 
when first discovered, and thought that by taking the boat 
we could row to the windward of them and thus get near 
enough for a shot. 

We pushed out from the shore with as little noise as 
possible and pulled up into the bend, Gardner at the oars, 
and finally succeeded in getting to windward of them, and, 
drifting down in their direction, got within gunshot just as 
they rose. Gardner quickly dropped the oars and together 
we fired, knocking out several of the flock. They proved 
to be white-winged coots, big fellows and in fine order, be- 
ing plump and fat. Securing our game we hastened back 
to the stand, and hauling the boat well up out of sight in 
the bushes took up our watch in the " blind " again ; but 
we were not rewarded with a shot, as nothing came to us. 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 27 



though we saw a few circUng about in the air. ^Vhile we 
did our best to attract their attention, they seemingly took 
no notice of us, and though our decoys stretched their 
necks and quacked vociferously, they would not be beguiled 
into making a closer acquaintance, no doubt preferring the 
wild freedom of their aeriel flight to the possible dangers 
that might lurk about the shores of Coleman's Island. 

So, as the sun was sinking behind the treetops that 
skirted the western shore, we drove out the ducks and let 
them have a bath, and after seeing them safely back in 
their quarters and having made everything snug and tidy, 
we wended our way to the village. We separated at An- 
drew's shop, agreeing to be on hand at four o'clock the 
next morning. 

Somehow we overslept on this particular morning, 
awakening to find it considerably past the hour agreed 
upon. We tumbled into our clothes as lively as we knew 
how, and were soon out in the open air and headed for the 
appointed rendezvous, which we reached only to have our 
suspicions confirmed, that our friend, fearing we would not 
show up till too late for the early morning flight, had gone 
on without us. He had taken the precaution, however, to 
place our guns outside and standing against the door, where 
we would be sure to find them if we came along. Seizing 
them we hastened on in the direction we knew he had taken, 
hoping to overtake him before he reached the lake ; but 
he had too much start, and after floundering around 
amongst the wet underbrush, sometimes in the path and 
again out of it, and thumping against trees and overhanging 



28 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

branches, stepping into holes and winding ourselves up in 
green briars — for it was intensely dark in the woods — we 
finally came out upon the lake shore, and with a little diffi- 
culty found the path that led onto the island and entered 
the stand about fifteen minutes behind Gardner, and just 
as daylight was breaking in the east. 

The decoys were out and doing nicely, and as soon as 
it was light enough to see with the glass we took a careful 
look around the lake and discovered, about a hundred 
yards distant, what appeared to be a small bunch of ducks, 
though we could not tell for a certainty, as the appearance 
of the water is very deceptive early in the morning, and 
what we have often taken for a bunch of ducks has proved 
to be only the edge of a wave suddenly imbued with seem- 
ing life by the momentary shadows that are occasionally 
thrown across it ; and again we have been startled to see 
what but a moment before appeared to be but a patch of 
black water suddenly start and set in towards us with all the 
grace and symmetry that is to be found only in the move- 
ments of the wild duck. But there is no deception this 
time, as the dark and shadowy outline moves nearer and 
takes definite shape. The ducks, for such they proved to 
be, having satisfied their curiosity, now swim boldly in to- 
wards the decoys, and are in a few minutes near enough to 
shoot. 

We take our respective places and are chagrined to 
find that we cannot see our sights, the light being insuffic- 
ient as yet, owing to the heavy mass of foliage behind us ; 
and as we dare not risk a shot under these circumstances, 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 29 



knowing full well that we should be almost certain to over- 
shoot, we are obliged to content ourselves with watching 
their movements and waiting for daylight. There was but 
little danger of the ducks leaving as long as we made no 
noise, so we settled down to wait and curb our impatience. 

We remained thus for several minutes, v/hen a sudden 
movement on the part of the retriever, who lay snugly en- 
sconced at our feet, caused us to look quickly out through 
the port-holes, when we discovered to our dismay that the 
birds had suddenly taken alarm and were swimming rap- 
idly away. Thrusting our gun barrels through the narrow 
apertures in the "blind," we had the satisfaction of finding 
that the sights showed plain and true, and at a quick 
signal from our companion we fired simultaneously and 
stopped five of the fleeing birds, two of which required the 
services of the second barrel before they were dead ducks. 
As there were only seven in the bunch we had shot well 
and had no reason to complain ; for we know of nothing 
better calculated to try the skill and rattle the nerves of 
the most experienced duck-shot than this shooting at sv/im- 
ming birds from a "blind," in the uncertain light of early 
morning, and we have yet to see the man proficient enough 
in the art to account himself a dead shot under these cir- 
cumstances. 

Grand and glorious the sport is — black duck shooting 
over live decoys — a sport which, in the skill and science 
and amount of patient toil involved, together with the 
necessary amount of hardships that must be encountered in 
order to circumvent the natural instincts of this the most 



30 SCIEN'nFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

wary of all the dnck species ; the weary hours of watching 
and waiting, amid storm and cold, calling for extreme forti- 
tude and the most hardy requisites of the sportsman ; the 
uncertaint • which always at' aches to the obtaining of a favor- 
able shot, even after the utmost skill has been exercised on 
tliC j^art of the hunter ; and again on the other hand the 
fact of being brought face to face with nature in her utmost 
solitudes, in all her most variable moods ; the ever-chang- 
ing panorama of sea and sky, of lake and stream and marsh 
and forest, crowned hill and shore, the glorious daybreak 
and the gorgeous sunset, followed by the calm, clear and 
serene moon-lit evenings, during which some of the very 
best shooting is to be had, — these and a thousand other 
things that go towards making a successful day's duck 
shooting, all combine to form what, to our minds, is the par 
excellence of field sport, a sport that is by no means to 
be measured by the amount of game bagged. 

We retrieve our game and admire the contour of their 
graceful forms, the outstretched neck and small, finely- 
shaped head that is such a certain mark of their identity 
when in flight, at once distinguishing them from any other 
species when first brought within the range of vision, a mere 
speck upon the horizon's verge, the delicate bluish-green 
markings of the wing-coverts and soft shading colors of the 
mottled breast, and almost feel some compunctions of con- 
science at having deprived of life such beautiful creatures ; 
but the feelings of a sportsman are transcendent over all 
others, and we put the birds aside and again take our re- 
spective positions in the '"blind" with field-glass in hand, 



IN EASTFRN WATERS. 3 1 

noting each flock as it appears, now seeming to advance, 
and again circling wide, and finally disappearing attogther. 

An occasional puff of smoke is seen, followed by a 
sullen boom borne across the water from the direction of 
our neighbor's stand, telling us in unmistakable terms that 
they are ' in it," and as roar succeeds roar we know that 
they are having a jolly time. Soon we sight a pair of ducks 
coming directly towards us, and though our rivals try hard 
to turn them, by throwing decoy after decoy, they will not 
be persuaded but come steadily on and drop right in among 
our decoys ; we wait for a few moments to allow them to 
separate from the decoys and to get at a sufficient distance 
from them to enable us to shoot without killing our own 
birds, and then, they having swam to Gardner's si.le of the 
" blind," making it difficult for us to obtain a fair shot, we 
give him the word and he fires, killing them both. 

The sun has now risen, throwing its warm rays over the 
chill autumnal scene, and we are grateful for its benign 
rays ; for it is decidedly cool in the stand, the ground beneath 
us being damp, and our scant quarters affording us but little 
room for exercise. We wait patiently, but in vain, for 
another shot, and as the morning is now pretty well ad- 
vanced and the quail and partridge gunners in the woods 
are getting rather n'oisy, shot after shot following each other 
in quick succession, we conclude to take in the decoys and 
leave the field clear for our neighbors across the way, as our 
chance for another shot this morning is well-nigh hopeless, 
owing to the lateness of the hour and the noise that is go- 
ing on in the woods on our side of the lake. So the rou- 



32 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

tine of snugging up the camp is once more gone through 
with, and we wend our way back to the village again, not 
without some feelings of regret ; for this is our last morning 
at the lake, and we have had a pleasant trip. We part with 
our friend at his shop door, and having attended to the 
packing of our luggage and said good bye all around, we 
are soon speeding away towards home, having accepted an 
invitation to come again next year. 



CHAPTER TIL 




YEAR elapsed before we saw Coleman's Island 
again, when one bright, beautiful day in October, a 
letter came from Gardner saying that the next 
week he should be at liberty, and that he pro- 
posed putting in the whole w^eek in camp, and invited us to 
join him. So, hastily arranging matters, w^e left on the next 
day and arrived at West Barnstable early in the evening, in 
a drizzling rainstorm. Hunting up the Centreville stage 
and driver w^e were soon on our way across the Cape. The 
rain continued to pour steadily, and the night settling down 
black as ink made our progress necessarily slow, as the 
roads were muddy and sticky, and in some places badly 
gullied. 

We plied the driver with questions in regard to the 
shooting, and found that he was receiving ducks daily from 
different camps, to be sent by express to absent members of 
the several ducking clubs located at Wequakett Lake. 
This augured well, for we knew that if a flight was on, Cole- 
man's Island was sure to come in for a share ; and our 



34 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

spirits rose accordingly with each mile that lessened the 
distance between the coach and our destination. At last 
the stage rolled into the village and drew up at the post- 
office at precisely eight o'clock, and on getting out we 
found that the rain had about ceased, though the darkness 
was still dense. Making our way to Gardner's shop we re- 
ceived a hearty welcome fro:n as jolly and hearty a crowd 
of sportsmen as ever gathered of an evening to " swap 
lies " and recount old-time experiences. 

After getting thoroughly warmed around the glowing 
stove, which from its cavernous depths was throwing out its 
grateful warmth in immense volumes of heat, Gardner re- 
marked that as there were no ducks at Coleman's Island 
that morning it was sure to be our turn to-morrow. 

The camp had been put in thorough readiness and 
was well provisioned, we having sent down a good-sized 
box of canned goods, pickles, coffee and other necessaries, 
as well as luxuries, of camp life the day before, which our 
friend had transferred to camp that day. The only time 
that we are really hungry is when in camp, and we believe 
in having enough to eat then. M'e concluded after a chat 
to go into camp that night, and avoid the early start we 
should be compelled to make the next morning. Be- 
sides the weather might not be any better if we waited, 
and once there we could defy the storm or wind, and be on 
the spot if the ducks came. 

Accordingly, we made ready to start, first tucking our 
trousers inside our stockings and drawing our rubber over- 
shoes well up around our ankles to protect us from the wet 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 35 

and dripping underbrush, for Andrew was a veterrn soldier, 
and knew how to keep dry feet on a march. Then, turn- 
ing the care of the shop over to his eldest son, we started 
on the most wet and darksome tramp through the woods 
that it has ever been our lot to experience. The dog led 
the way, Andrew followed with a lantern, while we brought 
up the rear, loaded with gripsack, ammunition-case and 
gun, which, as we struggled and floundered along through 
the woods, vainly endeavoring to keep the path, momenta- 
rily grew heavier, until by the time half the distance had 
been traveled, the weight we were carrying seemed to have 
increased to nearly a ton. Had not all been articles well- 
nigh indispensable to a man bound on a week's cruise after 
ducks, we doubt not that they would have all been uncere- 
moniously thrown into the woods so great had the burden 
become ; but we reached the camp at last without accident 
or incident, other than those already mentioned, with the 
exception, perhaps, of a pair of lame ankles and well-blis- 
tered hands. 

Getting inside the shanty we at once proceeded to di- 
vest ourselves of all superfluities, and pile our luggage in a 
heap in one corner of the room. Gardner filled the oil stove, 
and lighting it, we soon had light and heat sufficient for our 
frugal needs. We prepared the coffee and breaking into 
the stores produced a can of tongue and a loaf of bread. 

By this time the coffee was steaming hot, and as our 
long walk had sharpened our appetittes, we at once fell to 
and proceeded to demolish everything but the dishes, 
which we carried to the lake shore and thoroughly washed, 



36 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

SO as to have them ready for use the next morning. This 
duty attended to, we unpacked and put together our guns, 
overhauled our ammunition, and put both where they would 
be safe and at the same time easy of access ; then we 
each picked the most comfortable seat we could find, and, 
lighting a cigar, proceeded to enjoy the greatest of camp 
luxuries, the evening smoke. 

Neither of us felt in the least sleepy, so we sat for 
nearly two hours smoking and spinning yarns. Gardner re- 
lated his first experience in shooting ducks at the lake, 
when but a lad of ten years. It was before the days of 
breech-loaders and live decoys, when there were a hundred 
ducks where there is now one, and before any of the pres- 
ent camps had been built. It was no uncommon sight 
then to see several hundred ducks in the lake at one time. 
By crawling out to the end of any projecting point and ly- 
ing concealed in the bushes, one would be almost certain 
to secure a good shot. 

Annable's Point was then, as it is now, considered the 
best location, and to this point the senior Mr. Gardner, or 
••Uncle" Gardner, as the boys used affectionately to call 
him (for he was known and liked by every boy for miles 
around, always having a kind word for them and a never- 
failing stock of stories, which he ever delighted in relating 
to them, in the dryest and most humorous style imaginable, 
at once winning their confidence,) to this point "Uncle" 
Gardner and several other noted shots were wont to repair 
at early morn or just at dusk, accompanied by a water 
spaniel trained to run up and down the shore by repeatedly 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 37 

throwing a stick for him to bring, repeating the process as 
fast as the stick was retrieved. By these manoeuvres the 
attention of the ducks would be attracted towards the 
shore, the entire flock at times swimming in within easy 
gunshot, intent on watching the movements of the dog, and 
at a given signal the concealed hunters would pour in a 
deadly fire, and this process could be repeated several 
times, thus making it no unusual thing for a hunter and his 
dog to bag forty or fifty ducks of a morning. 

Of course that is all changed now, the ever decreasing 
number of ducks being caused by the rapid settling up of 
territories that were once wild and offered complete pro- 
tection to myriads of wild fowl, together with the constantly 
increasing army of gunners where once but a few engaged 
in the sport. The use of live decoys also, which in the 
last few years has entirely supplanted the old-fashioned 
method of tolling with a dog, has made the ducks so shy 
that we doubt if a flock could now be successfully decoyed 
in Wequakett Lake by the old-fashioned methods. These 
facts, coupled with the immense superiority of the modern 
breech-loader over the clumsy and uncertain flint-lock and 
percussion-cap musket of our fathers, the breech-loader 
now being in active use all over the country, the ducks are 
never out of earshot of their death-dealing notes from the 
time they leave their breeding places in the north until they 
rest their tired pinions in the everglades of the south at the 
close of their long and harrassed flight, their ranks sadly 
thinned. All this has tended to greatly diminish the sport 
of duck shooting, and we shall never again see on this con- 



3^ SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

tinent the magnificent sport that lay at our very doors but a 
short generation ago. 

It was upon such a morning as we have just described 
that our friend, in the full pride and consciousness of 
possessing his first gun, a queen's-arm musket which re- 
quired all his strength to bring to his shoulder, sallied out 
in company with his father and a neighbor — also a noted 
shot — to take his first lesson in duck shooting. 

As the party neared the long, narrow and heavily- 
wooded point of land known as Annable's Point, where 
now is located the fine camp of the Brockton Club, they 
discovered through an opening in the trees an immense 
flock of black ducks, quietly feeding within easy gunshot of 
the shore. 

The utmost caution was now necessary in order to ap- 
proach the birds without giving an alarm, and accordingly 
the hunters dropped on their hands and knees, crawling 
along through the bushes towards the end of the point, our 
friend bringing up the rear of the procession, with the 
neighbor before mentioned just ahead. 

: Gardner in his excitement had brought his gun to full 
cock, and unmindful of what he was about was pushing the 
gun along in front of him, with the muzzle within a few 
inches of his companion's head, when the latter, suddenly 
turning, found himself looking into the deadly tube of the 
old musket. This raised the old man's dander, and. 
bringing his arm around, he dealt our young sportsman a 
stnnning blow that knocked the offending gun-, completely 
out of his hands and sent him reeling into the bushes. 



IN EASPERN WATERS. 39 



Gathering himself together as fast as his scattered 
senses would permit, he hurried on after the others, taking 
care to carry his gun where it would be a little less likely 
to do damage in case it was accidently discharged, and 
reached the shore in time to take a hand in shooting at the 
ducks, which fortunately had not changed their position. 
As the smoke of the three guns cleared away, it disclosed 
to the gaze of the happy hunters nearly twenty dead and 
wounded ducks. 

Gardner has stalked and decoyed many a flock of 
ducks since that eventful morni:":g, and made many a suc- 
cessful shot ; — but never, we are assured, has he experienced 
more pleasure than on the morning of that first memorable 
duck hunt, when, in proud possession of his first gun, he 
participated in making a most successful shot, and learned 
one of the most valuable lessons in sportsmanship, — one 
that ought to be vigorously impressed on the minds of all 
youthful gunners, as well as those of more mature age and 
experience, — never, under any conditions whatever, to allow 
a loaded gun to endanger the life of a companion. 

As Gardner finished his story, which had been closely 
listened to throughout, we noticed that it was beginning to 
grow chilly, and as the fire was getting low and our cigars 
had burned out, we consulted our watches, and finding it 
nearly twelve o'clock concluded it was about bedtime ; so, 
extinguishing the fire and Hght, we sought our rude but 
comfortable bunks, and proposed to woo the drowsy god, 
as we had to turn out early in the morning. 

Although we tried our best, sleep fled from our eye- 



40 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

lids, SO unaccustomed were we to the strangeness of our 
surroundings ; and finally we gave up in despair all hopes 
of obtaining sleep that night, and lay awake chatting and 
telling stories. 

The wind continued to blow, and seemingly showed 
no signs of abating, which disturbed us considerably, as, 
from the quarter it was now blowing, it would deprive us of 
a lee shore, which is indispensable to the decoying of ducks 
in rough weather. We knew if the wind did not abate by 
four o'clock our chances for a shot would be greatly dimin- 
ished ; bat we hoped for the best, and while the wind 
roared and shook the frail shanty, causing our rude bed to 
rock and sway, we lay and listened to the mournful sough- 
ing among the pine tree-tops, which ever and anon would 
sweep across our roof, producing a sound such as we might 
fancy would be the result if the entire roof was being 
stripped off. As the violence of each succeeding gust 
passed away, we could hear during the lull that followed, 
the lisping music of the waves as they rolled in upon the 
shore but a short distance from us. 

Finally, as the night wore away, the violence of the 
wind abated and it grew colder. 

By that time the little alarm clock at our side rung out 
its warning note, telling us that it was time to be stirring if 
we wanted any ducks, and we were not slow to obey the 
call. Hastily dressing, we soon had a good fire going and 
the coffee-pot merrily singing on the stove. 



CHAPTER IV. 




CUP of hot coffee helped to impart a grateful 
warmth to our bodies, and then carefully extin- 
guishing the light, with guns in hand we stole 
quietly out into the open air. We found the 
weather to be clearing rapidly, the moon already shining 
plainly from out the fleecy patches of gray clouds scudding 
before the wind. The stars directly over-head were twinkl- 
ing merrily, although those down near the horizon's verge 
were beginnmg to grow faint as the dull red Hnes stretching 
along the eastern sky heralded the approach of day. Once 
fairly outside the. shanty and away from the protecting lee 
afforded by the pine woods, we began to realize that it was 
really cold. As we reached the stand and confronted the 
keen north wind sweeping down the lake, our teeth com- 
menced to chatter and we had to resort to violent exercise 
to get warm. 

The surf was pounding angrily on the shore as we put 
out the decoys, the spray breaking so high in air that we had 
serious misgivings as to whether ducks would alight there 
or not, and as to whether we could soon attract their atten- 
tion with the decoys. As a dernier ressort we placed two 
decoys in the cove on the back side and to the leeward of 



42 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

the island, hoping in this way to be able to stop some pass- 
ing flock in the smoother waters of the cove, and then by a 
judicious throwing of decoy ducks from the stand, contrive 
to entice them to swim within gunshot. We had no sooner 
completed this task and hastened to the stand snugly 
ensconcing ourselves in the warmest corner we could hind, 
than the wisdom of the move became apparent ; for, with 
no other warning rhan a flutter of wings, a bunch of fine 
black ducks flew over our heads, having passed directly 
over the decoys in front of the stand without stopping, and 
sweeping into the bend caught sight of the two decoys 
stationed in the rear of the island ; they quacked lustily at 
the new comers, and after making a few circles the entire 
bunch set their wings and dropped down to the decoys. 

It was as yet quite dark on that side of the island, and 
we hesitated before risking a shot, as in the rough water 
they presented a small mark, and besides they vvere so mix- 
ed up that it was next to impossible to tell the wild ducks 
from the tame ones. As we did not wish to kill or wound 
the decoys, we held our fire for a few moments, hoping the 
moon, which was hidden behind a cloud would show itself 
long enough to enable us to make the shot with some 
degree of certainty; and in this we were not dissapointed, 
for in a few mements the clouds broke away and the moon 
shone out with its accustomed autmnal brilliancy, throwing 
a silvery sheen of light upon the very spot where the ducks 
were quietly floating and swimming about m short circles, 
the tame ones issuing from time to time low notes of wel- 
come that seemed to keep their wild visitors contented and 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 43 

from flying away. We watched our opportunity, and as 
they swam leisurely about they suddenly became separated 
from the decoys, and drawing together presented a fine 
shot. We threw our guns quickly to our shoulders, and as 
the full moon threw its rays along the polished barrels glis- 
tening with frost, we fired together and had the good luck 
of stopping them all. Gardner had the boat ready in a 
moment and quickly retrieved the birds, only one of which 
required the services of the second barrel in order to be a 
dead duck. 

The wind having now somewhat abated we turned our 
attention to the front part of the stand, and with the aid of 
the glass could make out several flocks in the vicinity of 
x'^nnable's Point, and soon one flock, more confiding than 
the others, swam boldly in and paid dearly for their temer- 
ity in the sidly decimated numbers with which they re- 
treated before the deadly fire of the concealed breech- 
loaders ; and circling high in air, the remainder of the flock 
started for the more congenial climate of the south. As 
they passed directly over our heads we could not forbear 
giving them a parting shot, though they were obviously out 
of reach ; and while we could not prevail upon them to 
stop vvith us in answer to our leaden salute, we did at least 
contribute to accelerating their speed towards the rice 
swamps of South Carolina. 

Things quieted down now for a half-hour or so, and 
then the ball opened again, we leading off with a pair 
which we neatly dropped just as they were fluttering over 
the decoys and about to alight ; while the guns at Stony 



44 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

Point, which so far this morning had not been heard from, 
now began to bellow and roar death and destruction to 
everything that came along in the shape of a duck. 

It always used to do us good to see them shoot at 
Stony Point — almost as much as it did to get the shot our- 
selves. We did not claim the honor of being acquainted 
with any of the gentlemen who composed the Rockland 
Club, and who controlled and camped on this lonely point 
for many years ; but whoever ihey were they had the science 
of duck-shooting down fine, and shot with an abandon and 
skill, as well as almost military precision, that was charm- 
ing to behold, and assured for them a lasting place in 
that great duck-shooting fraternity who are born, not made. 

Annable Point is also alive to what is going on, as flash 
after flash, succeeded by roar on roar, testifies ; and we will 
guarantee the Brockton boys are having their share of the 
fun, for the wind is in their favor and the ducks always did 
have a tender regard for Annable's. We get another pair, 
and then the shooting stops, and is over as quickly as it 
commenced ; and after thrashing our fingers awhile in order 
to thaw them out, — for the dashing spray is cold as ice. — 
we take in the decoys, and getting inside the shanty have a 
fire started in less time than it takes to tell it, and as soon 
as the coffee is hot make an onslaught upon the provisions 
that threatens to cut short the camping trip by several days, 
unless our appetites meet with a sudden change before the 
week is out. 

While we were eating breakfast we were joined by 
Gardner's eldest son, Will, who spent the day with us. In 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 45 



the afternoon we took the boat and dog and went over to 
Quauk Island, in the hope of starting a fox or rabbit ; but 
in this we did not succeed, and coming back to camp 
about four o'clock, where we had left Gardner, found that 
he had gone up to the village, leaving the camp to us. We 
put out the decoys, and just at dusk shot a pair of gray 
ducks — which are something of a rarity on the Cape, and 
are highly prized. About six o'clock Will started for home, 
leaving us in sole possession. Just as we were beginning to 
wonder what was keeping Gardner so long we heard his 
footsteps along the shore, and soon his welcome form ap- 
peared in the stand. 

As we had taken in the decoys and fed them there re- 
mained nothing further to do. After standing for a few 
minutes and gazing out over the quiet surface of the lake, 
which was now beginning to reflect from its glassy depths 
the stars, as one by one they took their places high up in 
the ethereal blue, we reluctantly turned away from the 
charming scene and sought the shanty, where we soon had 
a substantial repast ready to which having done full justice 
we sat for several hours smoking and telling stories, and 
then feeling sleepy — for we had been exposed to the sun 
and wind all day — we rolled ourselves in our blankets and 
slept soundly till four o'clock the next morning. 

We were awakened by Gardner promptly at four 
o'clock, and tumbling out of the blankets found our friend 
busily engaged in preparing coffee. On going outside we 
found the weather mild and pleasant, with the promise of a 
beautiful day. We lost no time in completing our toilet 



46 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

and getting a cup of steaming cofifee, and then to the stand, 
where we found everything as we had left it the night 
before. 

Hastily putting the fetters on the ducks, we sjon had 
them consigned to their native element, where they alighted 
with many a splash and quack, which were immediately an- 
swered by the decoys at Annable's and Stony Point, show- 
ing that our neighbors across the way had been earlier 
risers than we ; and in fact we had fancied that we could 
hear their decoys when we had first stepped out-doors. 

The morning being clear, daylight came on rapidly, 
and we could soon see with the aid of the glass everything 
that was going on on our side of the lake. "We could see 
an occasional flash from the guns at the farther end of the 
lake, but it was not yet light enough to tell at that dis- 
tance what the amount of damage was, if any A pair of 
blue-wing teal flew past the decoys at a rate of speed that 
resembled a flash of light more than anything else; but 
quick as was the motion, it did not pass unobserved or un- 
challenged, for Gardner's Bonehill was already at his 
shoulder, and a charge of number five shot brought to a 
sudden termination the career of the foremost bird, the 
rear bird being well out of harm's way by the time the second 
barrel could be turned upon him, though the Bonehill did 
its best to get there on time. 

So the morning wore on, the shots being pretty evenly 
divided, as near as we could judge, between the three 
stands. As the sun rose in a perfect sea of golden splen- 
dor, awakening the quiet surface of the water to new life 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 47 



and sending tremulous waves of light hither and thither, the 
rich colorings of the birches, maples and sumacs on Long 
Point took on an added beauty ; the perch and pickerel 
with which these waters teem rose to the surface as though 
eager to bask in the warm sunlight, whose soft rays were 
now being thrown directly upon us dispelling the chill 
mists that hung low ab')ut the borders of the lake, and im- 
parting a genial warmth to us. who had stood for loug hours 
exposed to the crisp, cutting October air. For this we 
were all profjunrlly grateful, even to our faithful retriever, 
" Santa," who winked and blinked his satisfaction and 
stretched himself lasily and prepared to take another nap. 
We had seen no birds for nearly an hour, and as it was get- 
ting a little monotonous, Gardner concluded he would go 
into the shanty and indulge in a quiet smoke. 

He had been gone but a few minutes, however, when 
we saw swinging into the beautiful expanse of water on our 
left, known as Eli.^ha's Bend a flock of ducks which must 
have numbered nearly one hundred birds. Quickly pick- 
ing up a decoy and throwing it high in the air, we had the 
satisiaction of seeing the flock turn in our direction, as it 
shot towards the water; anci as the second decoy struck the 
water the entire flock set their wings and alighted about 
two hundred yards distant from us. 

It was but the work of a moment to run back to the 
hlianty and notify Andrew, who immediately appeared, 
btinging with him the famous long gun with which his 
father had been wont to exterminate whole flocks of ducks, 
and putting it in a convenient place in the stand he pre- 



48 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

pared to receive the birds with all the attention due them. 

It soon became evident that the entire flock could not 
be decoyed, and it was doubtful for a while whether any 
portion of it would really come to the decoys ; but after much 
swimming about and apparently debating amongst them- 
selves as to the best course to pursue, about twenty of the 
birds left the flock and swam rapidly towards us. As the 
ducks reached the decoys and the probability of securing 
a good shot became a certainity, our excitement knew no 
bounds, and we were in great danger of becomming "rat- 
tled" at the prospect of having so large a bunch of ducks 
within the range of our guns. Had we remained a trifle 
more cool we should probably have had a better account to 
give of our stewardship than that which we are now re- 
quired truthfully to render. 

As the birds came within easy range and together, An- 
drew, who was master of ceremonies, hastily mapped out 
the plan of action, which was, that we should fire together 
at his word, he to use the long single-barreled, muzzle- 
loader of prehistoric fame, which carried about one-fourth 
of a pound of shot and Lord knows how much powder, 
and which under all circumstances could be relied upon to 
kick worse than an army mule, and then to use the double- 
barrelled Bonehill when the birds rose. In that way An- 
drew argued we could kill nearly the whole of them. We 
took our respective positions with wildly beating hearts as 
we glanced along the shining tubes, out through the narrow 
apperture, at the dark shining mass of black, blue and 
green plumage which marked the spot where the ducks 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 49 



were listlessly bobbing up and down, all unconscious of the 
danger that lurked in such close proximity ; and as Andrew 
gave the word — " One, two, three, fire !" — the slumbering 
echoes of the forest awoke as if by magic, in response to 
the crash and roar which followed the discharge of our 
guns. 

We saw through the smoke the form of Andrew as he 
reeled back, in obedience to a great law of nature, from the 
powerful back-action combination of the antiquated arm 
whose reverberating roar was even now dying away among 
the recesses of the distant hills, and then, looking over the 
top of the stand, caught sight of a rapidly retreating flock of 
badly scared ducks. We looked eagerly down at the water 
to see what the effects of the shot had been, and were cha- 
grined beyond measure to find that v/e had killed but five, 
after all our elaborate preparations and sanguine expecta- 
tions. As we took in the situation at a glance, the truth 
flashed upon us that in our excitement and eagerness we 
had overshot while the birds were sitting on the water, — a 
mighty easy thing to do, by the way, — and the heavy recoil 
and dense smoke had retarded our movements in the use of 
the second barrel, so that whereas we ought to have killed 
a dozen birds, we had only five to show for our lack of 
judgment and skill. 

As the flock swept away northward on their course, An- 
drew mournfully shook his head, saying, ''You will never 
see such a shot again at Colem.an's Island." The incident 
seemed to have a depressing effect on our spirits during the 
remainder of our stay in camp. But it is an ill wind that 



50 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 



blows nobody good, and as the flock, which now required 
the services of the glass to keep in sight, swept by Stony 
Point, they took a sudden sheer which brought them well 
in over the decoys, and presented a fine quartering shot. 
which the Stony Point boys were not slow to take advantage 
of, pouring in a deadly volley as they passed, dropping 
thirteen into the water, most of which they retrieved ; but 
this did not surprise us in the least, the only wonder being 
that they did not kill them all, as this was only one of the 
many good shots we at different times had seen them make. 
Once they had killed fourteen out of eighteen Canada 
geese at the first discharge of their guns, and, as if that were 
not sufficient for once, reloaded and killed two out of the 
remaining four, before the frightened birds could get be- 
yond range. 

We did not get another shot at ducks that morning, and 
soon retired to the shanty. After partaking of a substantial 
breakfast, followed by a cigar, in the smoke of which passed 
away the keenest part of our disappomtment, we were again 
ready for whatever fortune might have in store for us, and 
passed the remainder of the day in lounging about the 
camp, the day being marked by no incident worthy of 
mention. 

That evening we agreed that the next day shou'd be 
our last in camp, as we both felt t'.iat we could not spare a 
longer time from our business, much as we would like to do 
so, for we had had a pleasant time and were loth to give up 
the wild, free life of the woods and return to our arduous 
duties ; but the inexorable laws of business demanded it, 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 5 I 



SO we were bound to accept the situation with as good grace 
as possible. 

That night we retired to our rude couch and slept 
soundly until morning, when we were again at our post 
eagerly watching for the slightest indication of ducks ; but 
though we stood faithfully on the watch till the sun had 
mounted high in Hie heavens, no ducks came to reward our 
lonely vigil, and at nine o'clock we took in the decoys and 
prepared for breakfast. In the afternoon we enjoyed for 
an hour or so some excellent sport, — gull shooting, — and 
killed quite a number, darkness closing over the scene with- 
out our having scored a single shot at ducks for the entire 
day. 

Our last night in camp was spent around the cheerful 
blaze of our little camp-stove, which furnished us both 
light and heat, with the aid of an old bullseye lantern, 
which had done some forty yea'-s' service on board a sail- 
ing packet, and was now vainly striving to rest on its well- 
earned laurels. It had been brought forth now, much 
against its inclination, and pressed into an unwilling ser- 
vice, to meet the exigencies of the occasion, and showed 
its evident disappobation of the whole proceedings by in- 
dulging in a constant series of spitelul splutterings, which 
threatened every minute to effectually extinguish its pale 
and flickering light. 

Long after our usual hour for retiring we sat by the fire, 
and over our cigars recalled the many incidents of bygone 
days, — some pathetic, some humorous, but all possessing a 
peculiar interest of their own. as viewed by the flickering 



52 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

light, and when at last we rolled ourselves in our blankets, 
it was to live over again in our dreams the scenes and in- 
cidents of the past as they had been flashed upon the retina 
of our memory, under the magic influence of a dying camp- 
fire. 

We were a little late in turning out the next morning, 
and when we emerged into the open air it was to find a 
cloudless morning, without a breath of air stirring. In- 
deed, so still was it that we could plainly hear the quacking 
of the decoys at Stony Point, and as we entered the stand 
and looked out on the lake, it was to behold a calm, glassy 
surface stretching away for many hundred yards to where 
a thin film of mist lay low on the water, obscuring the dis- 
tant horizon from view. As the sun came jjeeping up over 
Long Point, the mists were suddenly dispelled, disclosing 
to our view a pair of black ducks, which had evidently 
been waiting for more light before attempting to make a 
closer acquaintance with our decoys ; and now that it was 
light enough to enable them to satisfy their curiosity and 
neighborly instincts, they swam boldly in and were quickly 
gathered unto their fathers. 

This was the only incident that served to enliven the 
scene for some time, and then our attention became at- 
tracted toward the erratic movements of a flock of ducks 
at the farther end of the lake; they were amusing them- 
selves by flying first in one direction and then in another, 
but they strenuously resisted all attempts at decoying, 
though the veterans at Annable's and Stony Point made 
the most frantic efforts to bring them within reach of their 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 53 

guns. Suddenly wheeling, the flock passed the stand at 
Annable's Point with a provoking nearness that tempted the 
gunners to rebuke such foolhardiness, and they accordingly 
gave them a salute of half a dozen guns, which only served 
to accelerate their speed in our direction. Crouching low 
in the stand, we watched their approach until they were di- 
rectly over our heads, wheeling and circling so near that 
we could see their eyes and hear the rush of their wings as 
they swept past us ; and then, having satisfied themselves 
that everything was all right, they dropped gently down to 
the decoys. We, springing to our feet, took them just as 
they were hovering over the decoys, killing three with the 
first barrel, and picking up two more with the second, as 
they rose in the air and winged their way towards the sunny 
south. 

Retrieving our birds, we waited a half hour or so longer, 
hoping to secure another shot ; but as no birds came and it 
was getting late, we decided to break camp and go up into 
the village. It took us but a very short time to put things 
in order and to pack up our camp "duffle" and stow it in 
the boat : and then pushing off, with Andrew at the oars, 
we crossed the cove and soon landed on the opposite shore. 

We stood for some minutes on the bank, a feeling of sad- 
ness stealing over us because our trip was ended, for it had 
been a week of genuine pleasure throughout, unmarred by 
storms or other untoward events. The water never looked 
more lovely than now, slightly stirred by a gentle breeze, 
causing the sunlight to dance along the tiny, sparkling waves 
that lapped upon the shore with a musical sound resembling 



54 



SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 



laughter, while a whispering farewell was wafted to our ears 
from the stately pines, that for ages past have sung 
their solemn requiem on Coleman Island's lonely shore. 

As we turned away and plunged into the leafy cover of 
the woods, we heard again the roar of the guns at Stony 
Point, telling us that one more flock of Afius Obscura had 
been wiped out from the fauna of North America. 




CHAPTER V. 



1 



PON awakening one beautiful Sabbath morning 
late in September, we were impressed with the 
idea that we needed a vacation, so we decided 
to hitch up and drive to Centreville, twenty 
miles distant, and see what opportunities for sport were 
there afforded. We accordingly started a little after eight 
o'clock, and, passing the villages of East Falmouth and Wa- 
quoit, were soon in Mashpee woods, and after an hour's 
drive reached Mashpee River, which flows many miles 
through a dense forest, well stocked with game, and which 
has furnished trout for such distinguished anglers as Daniel 
Webster and Grover Cleveland, as well as for many others 
of less note and eminence. 

We found it very hot in the woods, the road being 
dusty and the sun beating down through the pine forest 
with a fierceness that forced us to travel slowly, for we in- 
tended driving back that evening, and we knew that time 
lost now would be well compensated for on the homeward 
drive. A half hour's travel, however, took us out of the 
woods and into the historic village of Cotuit, and passing 
the little hamlet of Marston's Mills, which is chiefly cele- 
brated as being the summer home of that distinguished 



56 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

writer and jurist, Henry A. Scudder, were soon approach- 
ing the beautiful village of Osterville, v/hich is fast attain- 
ing celebrity as a fashionable watering place. 

We were now once more within the immediate vicin- 
ity of Vineyard Sound, and as we drove into the vil age 
were met with a cooling breeze, fresh from old ocean, 
and passing through the village were soon in sight of the 
broad and beautiful waters of the sound. The ride from 
Osterville to Centreville is one of the most delightful to be 
found anywhere on Cape Cod, the broad waters of the 
sound being in sight all the way and in close proximity, 
being separated from the road by the beautiful Chequaquett 
River, which flows into Osterville Bay, thence joining the 
ocean. 

Away to the northeast are seen the Craigville bluffs in 
Centreville, thickly dotted with picturesque cottages, and 
the summer home of the Christian Baptists, which society 
holds an annual campmeeting there each season. 

Just beyond is Hyannioport and Squaw's Island Point ; 
and if the ride is taken in the evening, the twinkling lights 
of Bishop and Clerk's lightship are seen far out at sea. 
We rumble across the substantial bridge that here crosses 
an arm of the river separating the villages of Centreville 
and Osterville, and driving along the shady streets of this, 
one of the most quiet and romantic villages to be found 
anywhere along the south shore, soon arrive at the old 
homestead, cosily situated on the banks of the Chequa- 
quett River, which at this point is heavily wooded down to 
the water's edge, abounding in picturesque curves, and fer- 



IN FASTERN WATERS, 57 



tile, sloping meadows, and is in the direct line of flight of 
myriads of water fowl that during the months of autumn 
are constantly winging their way south. 

A few i..quiries brought out the information that the 
ducks were beginning to arrive at Wequaket Lake, and that 
the gunners were opening up the camps and getting in 
readiness for the fall campaign ; also that numerous flocks 
of white-wings and whistling coots had been flying down 
river, bound south, within the past few days, — a sure har- 
binger of autum and of glorious 'days of sport. Before the 
day passed we had an opportunity to verify these reports, 
several flocks of black duck passing directly over the house 
on their way to the blue waters of the sound just beyond. 
This, of course, was suflicient to arouse our enthusiasm to 
the highest pitch, and as several of our cousins were stop- 
ping at the house, all of them fond of duck shooting, the 
conversation naturally turned to ducks, guns and other kin- 
dred subjects, and was prolonged well into the afternoon, 
when the door suddenly opened and in walked our old 
friend Capt. William Kelley, the man above all others that 
at this particular time we most desired to see ; and from 
him we learned that he was about to open up the camp of 
the Messrs. Marston at Stony Point, Wequaket Lake, and 
expected to have it in running order in a few days, and 
that, as he expected to be alone for a few weeks, he would 
be glad to have us come down and spend a week or two 
in camp with him. 

This being exactly our idea of a vacation, we were not 
slow in accepting the invitation, and agreed to be on hand 



58 SCFENMIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 



early the following week, and after taking leave of our 
friend, — first promising to send down some wood decoys 
on the following day, — we had our team hitched up, as it 
was getting late in the afternoon and we had twenty miles 
to cover before reaching home. About five o'clock we 
started on our homeward drive. The return drive was 
made without incident, and we reached home early in the 
evening, and on the following day forwarded the decoys, 
which arrived safely and were soon performing their allotted 
task of deception, to tne intense dismay of several black 
duck and other aquatic fowl, which, having allowed their 
curiosity to get the better of their judgment, suddenly found 
themselves within range of ''Billy's" death-dealing ten- 
gauge, and usually paid dear for their temerity in the loss 
of many of their companions. Still they would not learn 
wisdom by experience, and the disasters of one day were 
usually followed by a similar experience the next. 

The week passed away, in which we had ample 
time to arrange our business and prepare for our de- 
parture, and as the following Monday morning rolled 
around it found us prepared and equipped, and at the sta- 
tion awaiting the train that was to bear us Capewards, and 
which left us at West Barnstable in due time. The day 
w^as lovely and all that could be desired, and the ride across 
the Cape to the South Shore in the open stage a pleasant 
relief from the close cars, and we arrived at our old home 
by the riverside in time for dinner, which had been kept 
waiting for us and was now ready. 

From the folks at the house we learned that Billy had 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 59 



C )me up from the lake that morning in anticipation of our 
arrival, and would probably wish to get back to camp quite 
early in the afternoon, as the ducks had been coming in 
during the afternoon for several days past ; so after dinner 
we overhauled our kit and stored away in the capacious 
pockets of our gunning jackets such things as we should be 
mo.st likely to need, and then shouldering our guns strolled 
in the direction of our friend's home, but a short distance 
away and on the road to the lake. 

As we drew near the house we discovered Billy stand- 
ing at the gate with gun under his arm and lunch box in 
hand, evidently awaiting us, and on coming up with him 
and returning his hearty greeting, found that he was all 
ready to start and only waiting for us to put in an appear- 
ance, as he was anxious to get back to camp as early in the 
afternoon as possible. 

For several days past he had been getting shots at 
ducks late in the afternoon, and did not like to let any 
chances of that kind slip by. We accordingly started at 
once, accompanied by Billy's faithful retriever, that rejoiced 
in the the euphonious name of Tramp ; but he was a grand 
dog and faithful compmijn, greatly attached to his master, 
and, as the days went by and we became better acquainted, 
soon came to regard us too as old friends and to bestow on 
us a share of his confidence and affection He accompa- 
nied us on all our tramps to and from the lake, and 
whether snugly ensconsed with us in the stand eagerly 
watching for ducks, or cruising with us along the reedy 
chores of the lake in search of cripples that might be 



6o SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

snugly stowed away in the thick grass, or in roaming in the 
woods on our numerous excursions inland after firewood, or 
in pursuit of partridges and squirrels, he seemed intuitively 
to know his part, and went straightway to perform it, with 
little urging from us. 

The afternoon was warm and pleasant, and we saun- 
tered leisurely along through the fields and woods past 
Long Pond, cosily nestled among the hills and pines, its 
quiet surface reflecting the rays of the afternoon sun. Along 
the dusty highway and on for a few rods, where we cross 
the county road, passing the old burying ground on the 
hillside where, after life's journey ended, 

"The rude forefathers of the hatiilec sleep," 
and thence gaining the woods ; after a walk of about fifteen 
minutes we reached the lake shore where Billy has his 
boat moored, and, transferring our luggage to the boat, 
jumped in, the dog scrambling in over the bow just as we 
are in the act of pushing ofif, and with Billy at the oars, we 
speed away over the placid surface of the lovely lake, out 
by Coleman's Island, covered with its sombre growth of 
stalwart pines, whose tops, gently moved by the wind, send 
playful shadows along the water far out on either side. 

As we pass the point of the island, the scene of our 
former exploits, we scan the shore closely for some sign of 
life, but observe none, all being quiet and deserted, Gard- 
ner not yet having got into camp. Leaving the island be- 
hind us, we make the opposite shore and run in under 
Long Point, from whence we shape our course for Stony 
Point, yet many rods away. 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 6 1 



When about half the distance has been covered, we 
are suddenly attracted by the eager motion of the dog, — 
that from his point of vantage in the bow has been a keen 
observer of all that was transpiring, — and, looking in the 
direction indicated, see a large flock of white-wing coots 
coming down the lake at no great distance from the water, 
and evidently bound out over the beach. As they appear 
to be coming our way, we hastily slip a couple of shells into 
our guns in anticipation of a shot. They bear down upon 
us with lightning speed and a mighty rush and roar of 
wings, their glossy forms glistening in the sunlight, and 
though they pass us too wide for a successful shot, yet 
they look so tempting that Billy ceases rowing and steady- 
ing the boat with the oars, says, ''Try 'em if you want to." 
This we do, giving them both barrels, causing them to reel 
and stagger, but still they keep on, though we can hear 
the shot strike them, which proves that our aim was good. 
We gaze after them, hoping to see one drop out ; but we 
are not *• in it" this time, as the flock gradually rises high 
in air and is lost to view behind the forest-clad shores of 
Coleman's Island, and Billy, bending again to the oars, 
remarks with one of his quiet laughs, '' When you can 
hear the shot strike 'em, they are too far off"." 

A few minutes later we are at Stony Point, and run- 
ning in behind the island, the boat glides up upon the 
strand. Springing out, we pull her well up into the bushes 
that thickly line the shore, where she cannot thump against 
the rocks or be filled with water in case the wind should 
rise during the night and send the waves rolling and dash- 



62 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 



ing upon the beach. We also took care to leave her fully 
protected from the prying eyes of any ducks that might 
happen to pass in close proximity to the island, and then 
unloading the boat we carried everything up to the camp 
and stowed all away in the shanty. 

On consulting our watches we found it to be four o'clock, 
and time the decoys were out ; so taking the guns and field 
glass, and accompanied by Tramp, we bent our steps in the 
direction of the "blind" at the end of the point, and a 
few mmutes later were standing within the enclosed barri- 
cade of boards and branches of birch and pine trees, deftly 
interwoven, and placed so as to present from the outside a 
perfectly natural appearance. 

Having got the decoys out and placed to our satisfac- 
tion, we were at liberty to turn our attention to the lovely 
landscape spread out before us. the view of the lake from 
Stony Point being grand and beautiful, commanding as it 
does a fine lookout in every direction. The lake is at its 
widest here, and with the aid of the glass we can plainly 
discern all that is transpiring at Bliss's Point on the oppo- 
site shore and away to the northwest, and can look into the 
blind at Annable's Point directly opposite. Coleman's 
Island, the scene of our former sport, clothed in its living 
mantle of green, stands out clear and well defined, the 
most prominent feature of the landscape to the south, 
while to the north Shoot Flying Hill, the most prominent 
landmark for miles around, looks benignly down upon the 
beautiful panorama nature here spreads out for her lovers. 

The wind was east, and the air grew raw and chilly as 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 63 



the afternoon wore on, with ev^ery appearance of a southerly 
wind before morning. Our eyes were gladdened with 
the first sight of ducks about four o'clock that afternoon, 
after an hour of patient watching and waiting. We were 
standing in the northeast corner of the " blind, " looking 
towards the north, when there suddenly appeared upon the 
horizon a dark speck which, as it drew near, rapidly evolved 
itself into a flock of ducks. A whispered word to Billy 
brought him quickly to our side, when we watched together 
the flight of the on-coming birds It soon became evident 
that they did not intend to stop, and in a few moments 
they passed us high in air. taking no notice of the de- 
coys, who sent after them a ringing challenge, playing their 
part well. We gazed after them till they were but a tiny 
speck on the southern horizon, and were soon lost to view , 
and then settled down to wait until another flock should 
appear, and again arouse us from our sleepy reveries to 
plunge us into that wild enthusiasm always slumbering in 
the breast of the true devotee of the sport, and only need- 
ing to be awakened at the sight of the noble game which 
he pursues. 

The shadows lengthen, the air grows chill and frosty, and 
no sign of ducks as yet. From the campfire of our neigh- 
bors across the way a thin film of blue smoke mounted 
lazily upwards, announcing that supper was in progress, and 
Billy, with a sweeping glance along the horizon and across 
the surface of the lake, turns toward us and says : " I guess 
you can kill all th.! ducks that come ; if you can't, why, you 
can call me ; I am going into the shanty to start a fire and 



64 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 



get our supper ; " and with this remark he disappeared 
through the narrow aperture that opened into the path that 
led from the "bhnd " up to the ca.np, and was almost im- 
mediately followed by Tramp, whose canine instincts no 
doubt led him to believe that supper was not far off. 

Darkness was now fast approaching, and it was with 
difficulty that we could distinguish objects at any great dis- 
tance, even wnth the aid of the glass. We amused our- 
selves watching the movements of the decoys, and by occa- 
sionally bringing our guns to the shoulder and looking 
along the polished barrels in order to assure ourselves that 
the sights still showed plain. We had been somewhat 
cramped and stiff from our long vigil, and were on the point 
of going in search of our friend and the warm glow of the 
campfire, which we knew was now permeating the shanty, 
when our attention was suddenly attracted by a peculiar 
movement of the decoys, that for the last half-hour had 
been quietly sitting with heads under their wings, but 
were now swimming about in a lively manner and giving 
vent to certain low cooing notes that we had learned to rec- 
ognize as a note of welcome which they were in the habit 
of extending to their wild brethren whenever any of them 
approached very near. 

Instantly cocking our guns, we stepped to the front of 
the ''blind," but at first could not see any signs of game. 
In a few^ moments, however, our eyes becoming accustomed 
to the darkness, we descried through the fast -gathering 
gloom the outlines of a pair of wild ducks swimming nois- 
lessly in to the decoys, and thinking it would be hardly 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 65 



fair not to give Billy a chance at them, we stepped back 
with the intention of crawling up to the shanty and callicg 
him, when he suddenly appeared at the entrance to the 
" blind," gun in hand. Cautioning him against making any 
noise, we directed him to a corner of the "blind " that af- 
forded the btst view of the ducks, and giving the word we 
fired together, i<illing the pair, which Tramp retrieved for 
us in good st\le. 

It was now too dark to think of further shooting, the 
mojn not having risen as yet, su Billy advised our going to 
the shanty and getting our supper, which was now ready, 
leaving the decoys where they were, as by eight o'clock it 
would be moonlight, and then we could try it again. As 
this ilea imj)ressed us favorably, especially that part of it 
which related to the supper, we lost no time in complying 
with Su reasonable a request, and hastily picked up our 
guns and the ducks, which on investigation proved to be 
plump and fat and in fine order, they being young birds. 

We followed Hilly down the narrow path that led up 
to the shanty, interlaced with branches of birch and maple, 
and on opening the door were met by a flood of light and 
grateful v/armth which quickly dispelled the chill to which 
our lonely watch had subjected us, and divesting ourselves 
of our heavy clothing, we at once fell to and proceeded to 
demolish the good things which were temptingly arrayed on 
the rude table ; to the utter dismay of Tramp, looking on 
with consternation depicted in every lineament of his ca- 
nine face, as if in wonderment as to what his chances were, 
and whether or no there would be anything left. 



66 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 



The cravings of the inner man satisfied, we arose from 
the table and cleared away the dishes, first providing gen- 
erously for Tramp, and then producing our pipes, we each 
found seats to our liking, and were soon wrapped in clouds 
of fragrant smoke, while Tramp, having finished his supper, 
proceeded at once to search out the softest spot on the 
floor and was soon dozing contentedly by our side, dream- 
ing no doubt of immense flocks of ducks, in the capture 
of which he was to have an honored share. 




CHAPTER VI. 




N hour or two of social chat before the cheer- 
ful fire, and then our pipes having burned out, 
we consulted our watches and found it to be 
already nearly eight o'clock and time for the 
moon to be in a position to enable us to take our 
places in the " blind." A few minutes more and we were 
again encased in our heavy clothing, and then whistling 
up Tramp, who obeyed the call rather reluctantl}', much 
preferring his cosy bed before the Are to the chill night air 
outside, after carefully extinguishing the light, stepped out- 
side the shanty and softly closed the door. 

Stepping from out the shadow of the shanty into the 
narrow path, and to where through an opening in the birch 
and maples the quiet expanse of water stretched away to 
the farther shore, we found the landscape bathed in the 
effulgence of the harvest moon, which now was at its full. 
Brushing aside the branches, wet and glistening with pearly 
dew, we entered the '* blind " and received a noisy welcome 
from the decoys, who, aroused from their lethargy, set up 
a vociferous quacking as if in proteit at being disturbed 
from their evening slumbers. Proceeding to the front of 
the stand we assured ourselves that the two deeoys that had 



68 SCIE'v'lIFIC DUCK S'HOOTING 



been left tied when we went in to supper were in tht ir 
proper places, and tiien having seen that the guns were in 
readiness for instant use. there was nothtng further left for 
us to do but watch and wait. 

The air was sharp, and frosty, and we soon found it 
necessary to be in motion to keep ourselves warni ; alll ex- 
cept Tramp, who, not entering very heartily into the pro- 
ceedings, curled himself up in a ball on the duck box and 
went to sleep, leaving us to pace up and down the narrow 
confines of the " blind," anon stopping to peer intently 
through the leaves, now beginning to look white with their 
coating of frost, to note, if possible, the first sign of incom- 
insf birds. Once we fancied we could distincruish the taint 
quack, quack of a duck and hear the light splash as the 
bird alighted in the water ; but we were not successful in 
bringing him to the decoys. We waited an hour or two. 
till the chill night air cut into our very bones, yet we were 
not gladdened with the sight of ducks, though several flocks 
of whistling coots passed high in air, southward bound. 
We could not see them, but could distinctly hear the low 
musical sounds produced by their wings, as in rapid flight 
they swept onward towards the sunny south. 

Once, just as we were on the point of leaving the 
"blind" for the more comfortable precincts of the campfire, 
a wild duck passed us with the speed of an arrow, his glossy 
form and graceful outlines showing plain and distinct foi 
the brief moment in which he was passing our narrow range 
of vision, while in front the silvery rays of the goddess of 
night showed full upon his fleeting form. Quick as was his 



IX EASTERN WATERS. 69 



flight, it did not j)as. unobserved, fur the decoxs had be- 
come aware of his Dre^ence before even the practiced eye 
of Billy had noted him, and sent forth upon the still night 
air a ringing challenge, which was, however, passed un- 
heeded, for the bird never swerved from its course, but 
sped swiftly on, and was soon lost to view in the uncertain 
light. As we gazed after him. now vanished, we could not 
help applying to him these beautiful lines of Bryant : 

''Seek'st thou the flashing- brink 

Of meady lake, or marg^e of river wiae; 
Or where the rocking billows rise and sink 
On the chafed ocean side 

All day th\ wings have fanned 

At that far height, the cold, thin atmosphere, 

Yet stoop not, wear^-, to the welcome land, 
Though the dark night is near." 

Nature, ever lavish of her bounties to those who know 
her in her utmost solitudes, reveals herself in many ways 
and forms unknown to civilization and the towns. Upon 
the sportsman, and particularly the camper-out, does she 
most generously bestow her varied charms, and in the five^ 
successive seasons that we camped beside these magnifi- 
cent waters, we had abundant opportunity of not only bask- 
ing in her most gracious smiles, but also of encountering 
the several frowns, all of which, however are now but 
pleasant memories, so completely does time with kindly 
fingers efface from our outings the unpleasant and disagree- 
able things of life, leaving only the things joyous and bene- 
ficent to linger in our memories. 

Some writer, we have forgotten who, has written of 



70 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

this, and remarked upon the fact that in recalling the inci- 
dents of camp Hfe in after years, those things that at the 
time of their occurance seemed most burdensome and 
threw a temporary chill and gloom over the entire camp 
and its occupants, have through the lapse of years become 
entirely obliterated, or else remembered only to become 
the subject of jest and mirth, so thoroughly imbued is the 
true sportsman with the idea that all discomforts and incon- 
veniences are but adjuncts rather than hinderances to the 
pursuit of his calling, and to be remembered only as inci- 
dents which served to add a zest and spice of adventure to 
the trip which otherwise might have become tame and com- 
monplace. This being the case, it surely redounds greatly 
to the credit of camp life that it enables those who become 
a part of its wholesome and mystic influence to treasure up 
only that which can be looked back upon with the highest 
satisfaction, yielding as it does rich returns in all that goes 
to make up the best things of life. 

Surely it was a grand, beautiful scene upon which we 
were now gazing, preparatory to taking in the decoys and 
seeking the warmth of the shanty. Though no ducks came 
to reward our patient vigil, yet there was a charm in the 
surroundmgs of that moonlit scene that kept us chained to 
the spot even though the chill of the keen October air pen- 
etrated to the very marrow of our bones. It was the calm 
that was to precede the storm, though one would have 
looked in vain for any sign of a gale or tempest in the lim- 
pid surface of the lake that reflected in all its beauty the 
moonbeams' mellow rays, or in the starlight overhead where 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 7 1 



hardly a cloud could be traced in all that expanse of silvery 
space. It seemed as though 

"All heaven and earth are still; 
From the high host of stars to the lulled lake and montain coast. 
All is concentrated in a life intense." 

We linger till the chiming of a bell far off in the belfry of a 
village church warns us that if we are to be on hand at 
four o'clock the next morning it is time we were getting 
some needed rest, and then relieving the decoys from their 
now rather uncomfortable positions, we slowly wend our 
way back to the shanty, bootless of game, but having very 
pleasently spent our first evening in camp. A fire is quick- 
ly started and a cup of coffee soon removes the chill to 
which our evening vigil has subjected us, and then seeking 
our comfortable blankets we are soon wrapped in the arms 
of Morpheus and for a few hours are oblivious to the out- 
side world. 

The little alarm clock at our side ringing out its clar- 
ion note as the hour points to four a. m. is the first sound 
that brings us to consciousness after a most refreshing 
night's rest. Rubbing open our eyes we find Billy in the 
act of striking a light, and heroically overcoming a desire 
to take a longer nap, we tumble out of our bunk and into 
the chill of the grey dawn, which as yet has hardly made 
its appearance. Leaving us to finish dressing, Billy, who is 
already enveloped in his great coat, proceeds at once to 
the "blind," and more from intuitive reasoning than from 
sight, for it is a dajk morning, manages to select the right 
decoys and get them securely fettered and in their 



72 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

proper places at opposite corners of the stand ; and then 
as it will be too dark to think of shooting for at least a 
half-hour yet, joins us in the shanty, where after filling our 
pipes, we proceed to enjoy a smoke, as being the most 
philosophical way of killing time till the approaching God 
of day shall dispel the inky darkness sufficiently to allow 
us to see a hundred yards fro:i; the shore. 

A half-hour thus spent and we knock the ashes from 
our pipes and extinguishing the dim light aff'orded by our 
single oil lamp, take our guns, and closely followed by 
Tramp, wend our way to the "blind" and are ready for 
business. The decoys are quacking well, which fact, cou- 
pled with that of our having a lee shore and the weather 
being every way favorable for ducks, it being a chill, raw 
northeaster without a very high wind, serves to raise our 
spirits to a buoyant pitch, as peering cautiously through the 
"blind" we await with joyous expectancy the anticipated 
shot. Even Tramp shares in the exhilaration, and wags 
his tail gleefully, looking up into our faces with intelligence 
depicted in every canine feature, his great brown eyer rov- 
ing wistfully about in the direction of the lake and ears 
alert to catch the faintest sound. The very air means 
ducks and he knows it. 

With the first grey streak of dawn there came the 
rustling of wings followed by a light splash directly in 
front of us, and Billy, quickly turning the glass towards 
the sound, utters a whispered word of caution, and calling 
me to his side hands us the glass, at the same time indica- 
ting with his hand the place where the ducks are. In a 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 73 



moment we have the glass at a proper focus and have lo- 
cated the l)irds, which on close investigation prove to be a 
fair-sized bunch of black ducks, there being some ten or a 
dozen birds, as near as we can count them, an exceedingly 
hard thing to do in the imperfect light, as they are con- 
stantly changing position. We consult for a moment as to 
whether we shall try to attract their attention by throwing 
decoys or wait for them to swim in of their own accord, it 
being as yet hardly light enough to shoot to good advan- 
tage, when the birds suddenly decide the question for us 
by taking wing and after making one or two circles drop 
down to the decoys and within easv shooting distance. 
Throwing our guns quickly to our shoulders, each covering 
all the birds he can, we fire, together killing five, Billy hav- 
ing the good luck to secure a pair with the second barrel 
while they are in the air. This result, while not altogether 
satisfactory, is as well as we could expect under the circum- 
stances, the branches of the overhanging trees with which 
the shore of the lake is lined, forming a very dark back- 
ground from which to shoot early in the morning. Had it 
been light enough to have enabled us to watch the move- 
ments of the ducks more closely and to have found our 
sights more readily, doubtless we could have done better ; 
but we were not disposed to be in a very critical mood with 
Tramp bringing in five dead ducks, though there always is 
a sort of mystery hanging about the birds that get away, 
and w^e are all of us prone to fall into moralizing about it 
and to explain just how it was done, and how easy it would 
have been to have killed them all if we had only done thus 



74 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

and so. Of course this all happens after the birds have got 
away and not before the shot is made. 

We remain in the ''blind" till after nine o'clock, but 
do not secure another shot, though several flocks are sight- 
ed. The sun has now mounted high in the heavens, dispel- 
ling in a measure the wintry chill of the previous hours, 
though constant exercise is still needed to keep ourselves 
warm after having been exposed for five long hours to the 
morning air. Visions of sundry cups of hot steaming 
coffee, coupled with a substantial breakfast, also began to 
dawn upon us as being the one thing most needful to our 
comfort at this particular time, and as the ducks do not 
seem to be flying our way we soon leave the stand and 
seek the shelter of the camp and busy ourselves with the 
preparation of breakfast, which is soon served and par- 
taken of with that relish that only comes of appetites whet- 
ted and sharpened by exercise in the open air in the pur- 
suit of healthful and exhilarating sport. Breakfast being 
over we repair once more to the stand and let the decoys 
all go out for a bath ; after which they are driven in to 
their snug quarters and fed, and as our stock of provisions 
is running low we decide to make a trip to the village for 
the purpose of replenishing them. 

Locking up the camp we are soon afloat and making 
good headway as the light boat under the impetus given it 
by Billy's strong arms bowls merrily along over the dancing 
waves. When about half way across to the farther shore 
where we are to make our landing we discover some two 
hundred yards ahead of us, a duck swimming leisurely 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 75 

along, now and then turning his head in our direction to 
see if we are coming his way, and on close examination 
Billy pronounces him to be a whisteling coot, and from his 
actions evidently wounded. 

As it will not take us much out of our course we re- 
solve on trying to capture him, and seehig our gun is in 
readiness for instant use we take a position in the bow of 
the boat, and quieting the dog, who, now that the game is 
in sight is in a state of great perturbation. Billy commen- 
ces his task of bearing down upon and to the windward of 
the wounded duck in order to compel him to give us a 
quartering shot if he attempts to fly ; but this wily denizen 
of the upper air has evidently seen that httle trick tried be- 
fore, and raising himself in the water to his full height he 
turns his head towards us in a defiant manner and with a 
tremendous flap of his powerful wings sends a shower of 
crystal spray dashing from his sleek and glossy coat, the 
huge drops of water flashing in the sunlight like myriad 
gems ; then settling himself low in the water till his form is 
entirely out of sight and nothing is visible above water but 
his head and long, out-stretched neck he quickly turns and 
swims away in the opposite direction with the speed of an 
arrow. 

It takes Billy a miuute or so to recover his stroke as 
the boat which has been making a pretty fair rate of speed 
shoots by the spot where but a moment before we had con- 
fidently expected to see the duck rise, and then pulling 
the boat about and heading her in the direction of the 
fleeing bird Billy paused for a moment to catch his breath 



J 6 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

and wipe the perspiration from his face, for under the 
bright rays of the sun it was warm work, and then casting 
his eye out to where upon the bright rippHng surface of the 
water the duck's head could just be discerned as with every 
motion of his feet and wings he rapidly lessened the dist- 
ance between us and the boat he exclaimed, 'Uell, you 
don't deserve to be shot after playing such a scaly trick as 
that ; but if you want to race we'll try you for a spell any- 
way," at the same time giving way to the oars with renewed 
vigor. 

We had come to the conclusion by this time that the 
duck was wing-broken and could not fly, else he would not 
have trusted entirely to his powers of swimming and diving 
to effect his escape ; but it was all the same to us. Our 
blood was up and we were going to have that duck or know 
the reason why. It was exhilarating sport this being pro- 
pelled over the water at a speed that sent the foam and 
spray dashing out from under the boat's stern, leaving an 
irridescent wake far behind upon which the sun danced 
and shone. The gunners at the Annable's Point camp had 
observed our strange tactics and were now watching us 
with their glassess, occasionally sending across the water a 
shout of encouragement, and the fact that we were observ- 
ed made us the more anxious to succeed and we never 
once took our eyes off that duck as under Billy's powerful 
strokes the boat bore rapidly down upon the quarry that 
now seeing it was a race for life was making a game fight 
for it. 

As we came within shooting distance, Billy slackened 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 77 



the speed of the boat somewhat and steadied her with the 
oars as much as possible, in order to allow us a fair shot. 
It was a small mark to shoot at from a rocking boat, as the 
bird could not be induced to expose anything but his head, 
but once in turning his head to get a better view of us he 
raised himself slightly from the water, and taking a quick 
aim we pulled the right barrel ; but he was evidently wait- 
ing for that, and with a motion like lightning dove at the 
flash and escaped unhurt. Waiting a moment, we saw him 
conie to the surface but a few rods away, and immediately 
gave him the contents of the left barrel, which started a 
few feathers from his back but did not prevent him from 
again getting under water. 

We waited some time for his appearance, and when 
we next caught sight of him it was at some distance from 
the boat. Slipping in fresh shells we were after him in- 
shiufer, and coming within range gave him both barrels in 
quick succession which raised a cloud of water about him, 
and again the feathers flew, but so lightning-like were his 
movements that the shot did not strike him hard enough to 
kill him, as he would dive at the flash of the gun and be 
half under water before the shot reached him. We knew, 
however, that he must be badly hit, and we congratulated 
ourselves that on his next appearance we would make an 
easy conquest of him ; but for some reason he did not 
make his appearance in the customary time we had alloted 
to him, and though v/e swept the surface of the water in 
every direction looking for him, our search was unrewarded 
and we had about concluded that he was dead and at the 



78 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

bottom of the lake entangled among the reeds, and had be- 
gun to slowly retrace our course towards the landing, when 
we suddenly espied him half way across the lake and in 
the direction of the camp. As we had already wasted near- 
ly an hour in our fruitless endeavors to capture him, we de- 
cided to give him the go-by for the present, not caring to 
waste any more time ; so with a mental reservation that we 
would pay our respects to him later in the day, we leisurely 
proceeded on our way and were soon at the landing. 

Pulling the boat high up out of the way of all harm, 
we took our guns and strolled away through the woods in 
the direction of the village, which was reached without 
the occurence of any incident worthy of mention, we not 
being lucky enough to start any game larger than a red 
squirrel, which we passed contemptuously by, not heeding 
his saucy chattering, though Tramp, who had an innate 
fondness for squirrels, was disposed to pay him his res- 
pects and rushed frantically around, all the while barking 
furiously in his vain endeavors to effect his capture, till, tir- 
ing of the sport, he gave up the chase and joining us trot- 
ted along by our side till home was reached. 

We enjoyed an excellent game dinner and at two 
o'clock commenced our return trip over the well-worn 
trail, each laden with all the provisions he could well carry. 
On reaching the lake we found the boat all right just as 
we had left it, and after stowing away our luggage in the 
most convenient place we could find, shoved off and were 
once more skimming oev^r the dancing waves towards camp. 
When about half the distance had been covered, we began 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 79 



to look about us to see if we could discover aught of our 
old acquaintance, the whisteling coot, who had led us such 
a lively chase during the morning's trip, and we had not 
looked long before we discovered him dead ahead and 
svk^imming leisurely in the direction of Stony Point. 

Taking our old position in the bow we slipped a 
couple of shells into the breech-loader determined to give 
him a shot if an opportunity presented. It soon became 
apparent that we were going to overtake him, as he wag 
swimming slowly while we were making good time, and 
when about two-thirds of the way across, the duck sudden- 
ly dove and came up within about forty yards of the boat. 
Quickly sighting at his head, the only spot about him that 
offered a shot, we fired the right barrel, and as the smoke 
cleared away saw the duck lying upon his back, stone dead. 

"A good shot," said Billy, as the boat glided up to the 
place where he lay, and reaching over the side we picked 
him up and deposited him in the bottom of the boat. A 
few minutes more and the bow grated on the pebbles, and 
once more we were making our camp as evening fell. 



CHAPTER VII. 



^^^ONCEALING the boat among the bushes that 
#1 Uned the shore, we carried our provisions and 

^J^y other belongings up to camp and deposited them 
in the shanty, Billy remarking, as he cast his eye 
critically over the provisions, that "He guessed 
we could stand it now for a spell," to which we laughingly 
replied that "We would be out again in thirty-six hours if 
our appetite continued to improve." 

As the weather now began to look threatening, we 
brought in all the wood that we had on hand, and having 
completed this task, sat down to have a quiet smoke, which 
pleasurable duty over we proceeded to the "blind," there 
still being an hour of daylight lefi in which to indulge in 
our favorite sport. A brisk wind was sweeping up the lake 
and the wind moaned dismally through the tasselled 
branches of the pines and birches as we took our accustom- 
ed places behind the barricade that intervened between us 
and the prying eyes of any feathered game that might 
chance to pass our way. A faint wreath of smoke indica- 
ted the spot where, snugly ensconced within their comfort- 
able camp, the Annable's Point boys were busily engaged 
preparing supper ; and once in a while we could faintly dis- 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 8 1 



tinguish the quacking of their decoys, though the water 
was fast becoming too rough to make them discernible, even 
with the glass, in the fast-gathering gloom that was settling 
down over the landscape, following the shore along as far 
down as Bliss's Point where our friend Bearse was encamped. 
Billy thought he could see ducks in the water just off 
the end of the point, and even as he was commenting upon 
it we saw the flash, and a moment later heard the reverber- 
atmg roar of several guns, and, holding the glass on the point 
for a few seconds, saw a boat put out from shore to retrieve 
the dead and wounded, of which there seemed to be four 
or five, as near as we could we judge. We watched the 
boat till it put back to the shore and disappeared among 
the shadows, and Billy had just remarked upon the advis- 
ability of taking in the decoys when we were startled by a 
sudden whistling of wings from behind, and looking up 
saw a pair of ducks in the act of swooping down to our de- 
coys. It was quick work, on the part of the ducks, and on 
ours. A sudden tumultuous rush of whistling wings, as 
with eager, outstretched necks the graceful waterfowl alight- 
ed to the decoys, the quick aim and blinding flash, and 
roar of the guns, and the game was ours. Looking around 
for Tramp, and not seeing him anywhere, we suddenly re- 
membered that we had left him asleep on the floor in the 
shanty ; so running up to camp we opened the door and 
was met by his intelligent face looking inquisitively up, 
seeming to say, "Do you want me?". Patting him on the 
head, we said, "Come, Tramp, we have got a pair of ducks 
out here ; go get them," and with a bound he sprang past 



82 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 



US "in his eager haste, and in a trice was in the water, swim- 
ming brav^ely out to where lay the ducks, and soon had 
them both safely ashore. 

We shot no more ducks that night, for it was now near- 
ly dark, and the air was becoming unusually chilly ; so tak- 
ing in the decoys and picking up our ducks, we wended our 
way to our cosy camp, and starting a fire soon had the 
coffee pot merrily singing upon the stove, while we busied 
ourselves with preparing supper ; and in the course of half 
an hour, having got thoroughly warm and rested, sat down 
to a substantial repast, and partook of it as only hungry 
men in the woods know how. 

We usually fared pretty well in camp, especially just 
after having returned from a trip to the village ; for the 
women folks at the house always insisted on loading us 
down with the choicest as well as the most substantial of 
the products of the culinary art, and the meal to which we 
were now doing justice would have graced the menu of any 
fashionable city hotel. First, there was cold roast duck, 
done to a turn, with all its necessary adjuncts of dressing, 
gravy, etc., flanked by a generous dish of ruddy cranberry 
sauce ; then there were generous slices of corned beef, with 
shoes of new-made bread and fresh creamery butter, follow- 
ed by mince and apple pies, and grapes and apples, fresh- 
plucked from the orchards, in profusion — surely not a bad 
fare for a camper-out. For a long time we discussed the 
good things so bountifully prepared for us, not forgetting 
Tramp, to whom the evening meal was always a gala event ; 
and then clearing away the things and tidying up the camp, 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 8^ 



we found solace in the inevitable pipes, and for an hour or 
so were lost in clouds of fragrant smoke. i\s our pipes 
burned low Billy fell into a communicative mood, and pro- 
ceeded to relate to us many incidents connected with his 
past life, bearing upon the subject of fishing and shooting, 
to all of which we paid eager attention ; for Billy is a mas- 
ter hand at relating anecdotes of this kind, and his great 
experience in these matters, covering as it does a period of 
forty years, together with his innate modesty and character- 
istic simplicity of utterance, with no disposition to over- 
draw or exaggerate as he might easily do, so great has been 
his field of observation, seem to make the recital of his ad- 
ventures while in pursuit of fish or fowl of surpassing in- 
terest to those, who, like the writer, are born of '•hunters' 
breed and blood " ; and fortunate indeed did we consider 
ourselves when we could induce our friend to relate to us 
some of his varied experiences by " field and flood ". 
There are but few varieties of game but that have at one 
time or another fallen to Billy's gun, and but few varieties 
of the finny tribe that have escaped from his seductive 
lures ; and whether his recital was of quail shooting, or deer 
and bear hunting among the swamps of South Carolina, and 
duck shooting among the numerous rice fields that abound 
in that sunny clime, or in pursuit of the gamy and tooth- 
some shad in their annual "run" up the broad rivers and 
sounds of that favored land, or whether at home upon the 
beach when the south wind brought myriads of wild fowl 
from the rough waters of Barnstable Bay to the broad ex- 
panse of the Atlantic, whose tides thundered upon the 



84 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

Strand with deafening roar in the good old days when the 
wild fowl shooting at Centre ville was at its full height and 
glory, and when upon such a day as we have just described 
the continuous roar of guns could be heard in the village 
from dawn to sunset, where now, alas, but little shooting is 
to be had, owing, presumably, to the defacing of the nat- 
ural scenery which in the olden days invited rather thaa re- 
pelled the flight of the birds ; in those days the wild and 
picturesque bluffs which stretched along the eastern horizon 
were wooded with living forests of noble oaks and stately 
pines, at the base of which flowed the great expanse of 
Chequaquet River, and down this natural highway the birds 
would speed, flock succeeding flock in rapid succession, 
passing out over the beach wil^hin easy gunshot, and afford- 
ing magnificent and exciting sport. 

But the innovations ot modern times have, in a great 
measure, changed all this, and where once stood a stately 
forest are now to be seen summer cottages, gaily decked 
out in all sorts of unharraonious colors of plebeian paint, 
supplemented by the most fanciful gewgaws and designs of 
gingerbread work, which to the lover of art in nature can, 
as he beholds them, appear but as the abomination of deso- 
lation and but a poor substitute for the dark, rich mantle 
of living green that once covered this romantic spot. No 
wonder that the birds have forsaken their former course of 
flight, avoiding it as a pestilence, either passing high in the 
air or choosing the darkness of night in which to make 
their passage. 

Whether amid these scenes or by the lovely expanse 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 85 



of water where we were now encamped, with trained decoys 
or retrieving spaniel, Billy was wont to make havoc among 
the black duck and blue bills, his stories always had a pe- 
culiar charm for us, coming as they did from the lips of a 
man, the best years of whose life had been spent amid the 
scenes he so graphically described, and bringing with them 
the odor of the wild woods, the lake and marsh and 
stream. 

But of all the many "yarns" with which Billy in his 
gracious moods was wont to while away the hours around 
the campfire, there remains one so singular and out of com- 
monplace that it has always retained a place in our memory, 
and for the pleasure it affords the writer, even as much as 
for the benefit of the reader, we now proceed to chronicle 
what we have pleased to term the " Strange Story of a 
Wild Goose." The wind howled dismally among the de- 
nuded branches of the birches, brmging with it the far-away 
sound of the mournful tides thundering upon the distant 
beach, and causing the one window, that served to illumi- 
nate our little cabin by day, to shake and rattle dubiously, 
as Billy, having arisen and replenished the fire and refilled 
his pipe, again seated himself, and after smoking on for a 
few moments in silence, commenced the following narra- 
tive : — 

" It was a good many years ago, when game was more 
plentiful than it is now, that I took my gun one morning, 
late in the fall, and went down on the beach in the hope of 
getting a shot at something flying along the shore. Stow- 
ing myself away in the thick beach grass, I lay for an hour 



86 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

or two, and failing to see anything worth shooting at and 
bec(;ming somewhat numbed from inaction and exposure 
to the raw air, had about decided to give it up and return 
home, and had already started in that direction, when, hav- 
ing walked along as far as the wharf, I changed my mind 
and decided to walk out as far as the end of the pier and 
take a look out on the Sound. 

''Reaching the end of the pier I found it much warmer 
and more comfortable than it had been on the beach, the 
warm rays of the sun shining directly down upon the plank- 
ing, while the fishermen's houses seemed to break off the 
force of the wind. 

'' Selecting the warmest corner I could find I sat down 
and remained there several hours without seeing any sign 
of game more than an occasional seagull, too far away to 
think of shooting at, or a loon diving and swimming along 
at a safe distance from the shore. Again I came to the 
conclusion that I might as well go home, and was on the 
point of leaving, when far out over the water I descried a 
flock of birds coming directly towards me and well up in 
the air. They were flying slowly, and it did not take me 
long to make them out as a flock of Canada geese bound 
inland, probably in search of fresh water. They were a long 
way off, and it was some minutes before they were near 
enough to enable me to observe them closely, and then the 
military precision of their onward flight, together with the 
oft repeated and well-known cry of the leader, left no doubt 
as to their identity. It was a large flock flying close to- 
gether, and they soon passed me high in the air in the di- 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 



rection of the river. They were too high to shoot, so I let 
them go, hoping to mark them down at some point along 
the river, or in some of the numerous ponds that lay scat- 
tered at short intervals back in the forest. As they ap- 
proached the river, however, they showed no signs of low- 
ering their flight, and I was just coming to the conclusion 
that I should have to make a long pilgrimage if I was to 
get my Thanksgiving goose out of that flock, when suddenly 
I observed a confused fluttering among the flock, and then 
as they straightened away again on their course one of their 
number was seen to leave the flock and fall limp and ap- 
parently lifeless to the ground, while the remainder of the 
flock proceeded on their way unharmed. 

" To say that I was surprised," said Billy, as he paused 
to light his pipe, which in the narration of the story he had 
sufl"ered to go out, "would be putting it mild. 

" I had seen no one shoot, heard no report, nor ob- 
served the smoke from any gun ; besides, the flock was 
clearly out of range. What was the matter with that goose ? 
Taking my gun under my arm and forgetting all about the 
remainder of the flock, I at once started in the direction of 
the place where I had last seen the goose, having marked 
him down in a reed swamp some half a mile distant from 
where I was. My course had led me over the beach hills, 
across the marshes and through bogs, till finally I reached 
the open fields where the walking was good. I was now 
able to make much better time, and in a few minutes I 
reached the woods that bordered on the outskirts of the 
swamp where I had seen the bird fall. 



88 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 



"Crossing the narrow belt of timber, I plunged into 
the network of tangled grapevines and brakes of which the 
swamp was composed, with some misgivings as to the re- 
sult, as I could hardly bring myself to believe that the goose 
had actually been killed, and if only wounded, which I 
reasoned was the far more plausible theory, it would be 
like hunting for a needle in a haystack to find him, so many 
were the chances of concealment ; but floundering on 
through muck and mire, now wound up in a giant grape- 
vine and extricating myself only to step into a boghole or 
be caught in a bunch of briers, whose sharp thorns pro- 
truded at every point, I at last reached a comparatively 
dry and open spot, and there, lying at the foot of a young 
pine, was the prize I sought. 

Stepping up to him I perceived that he was alive, yet he 
made no effort to escape ; and quickly producing from my 
pocket a stout cord I securely fettered him without his 
making the slightest resistance, he looking on all the while 
in a sort of dazed fashion. Finding a more desirable path 
than the one by which I had entered, I left the swamp, 
carrying my prize carefully. In vain I examined him with 
a view to finding upon his body some marks of violence or 
wounds of remote or recent date, but could find none, and 
reached home without having come to any conclusion 
whatever in regard to his strange behavior. I kept him 
alive for a few days, tied in the yard, the centre of observa- 
tion for all the neighbors round about : and when on the 
advent of Thanksgiving day we prepared him for the na- 
tional feast, he was found on being spiced to have no shot 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 89 



marks upon him, and to be as fine and plump and fat a 
yearling goose as ever rewarded a happy hunter. 

" I have but one theory to offer," said Billy in con- 
clusion, ''and that is based on a tradition among old hunt- 
ers of which I have heard my father speak, that geese in 
flying would sometimes crowd each other so that the beat- 
ing of their powerful wings would detach a quill feather 
from the wing of some luckless companion, which would 
cause him to lose his balance and fall, and, overcome with 
pain and fright, would imagine himself much more seriously 
hurt than what he really was, and continue falling until he 
reached the ground, where he would become an easy prey 
to the hunter who happened to be near the spot at the time, 
the shock of the fall serving for the moment to make him 
apparently unconscious and oblivious of his surroundings, 
unless perchance his downward plunge should happen to 
land him in his native element, when he would soon revive 
and regaining the use of his faculties wonld again mount 
high in air, and later on rejoin the flock ; but whether this 
theory is correct or not, I am not prepared to say, never 
having had further opportunity of investigation." 

Thus ended one of the most remarkable incidents ever 
related to the writer, though we have heard many both be- 
fore and since, and have had abundant opportunity of ob- 
serving many strange incidents both afield and afloat. 
Perhaps some of our readers wno have followed us thus far 
and who have enjoyed a wider and more extended field of 
observation, will find something in their own experience 
afield similar to that which is narrated here. 



90 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTIXG 

The storm, which had been long delayed, now came 
on rapidly and with an intensity that boded us no good for 
the morrow. Our fire was out and a damp chill was fast 
pervading the entire atmosphere of the room ; besides, our 
pipes were finished and the hour was late. So, having 
fastened the one entrance to our forest camp, — as Billy fa- 
cetiously remarked, to keep out the tramps, though it would 
have been an exceeding hard tramp for any tramp to huve 
reached us itj that storm, — we were soon rolled in our 
blankets and listening to the wind screaming and whistling 
through the branches above our heads and to the wild roar 
of the waters surrounding our camp, now lashed into fuiy 
by the violence of the wind, which ever and anon would 
scoop up whole volumes of the angry flood and dash them 
against the side of the shanty as if determined to break in 
upon us ; but we were used to scenes like this, and instead 
of frightening us it only served to lull us into a dreamy re- 
pose, from which we did not awake till well along towards 
daylight ; and, then, finding that the storm had in no way 
abated its violence, and that it would be the height of folly 
to attempt to decoy in such a storm as was now raging, we 
by common consent drew our blankets more closely about 
us and proceeded to enjoy a morning nap, the first one in 
which we had been privileged to indulge while in camp, as 
on all the preceding mornings we had been awake and 
stirring by four o'clock. 

It was seven o'clock when we next awoke ; and, sur- 
prised to find the hour so late, we lost no time in getting 
dressed and starting a fire. The wind had gone down some 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 9 1 



during the past few hours, so we decided to venture out 
into the stand and see how things lool\ed out there. We 
found the stand in fairly good condition, the wind having 
done it no particular damage except to shake off some of the 
dryest of the leaves, a defect which could soon be remedied 
when the weather became sufficiently settled to allow us to 
work out of doors in comfort. The water was very rough, 
but we decided on putting out a couple of decoys, as the 
rain began to let up some and we were anxious for a shot. 
The minute they were anchored, however, it became evi- 
dent that they could not be kept out a great while, as the 
waves broke over them savagely, causing them to tuck their 
heads under their wings and settle down in the water, ut- 
terly refusing to quack and evidently badly frightened. 

Untoward as were the circumstances, however, we 
were destined not to be wholly without success, for a mon- 
ster Indian goose, weighing, we should judge, at least ten 
pounds, came flying up the lake, and seeing our decoys and 
having a morbid curiosity to interview them closer, alighted 
about a hundred yards distant from us, and having satisfied 
himself that everything was all right, which was the greatest 
mistake he ever made in his life, swam in within easy gun- 
shot, and never swam out again. This was the only game 
bagged and the only shot we had, for the wind now began 
to increase in force and the rain to come down in torrents ; 
so, hastily taking in and housing the decoys and picking 
up our whilom goose, we gladly sought the shelter of the 
camp, somewhat wet and cold and a good deal hungry. 

The grateful warmth of the fire, howev^er, soon dis- 



92 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 



pelled the chill and dried the dampness from our steaming 
garments, while a substantial breakfast, with the pleasing 
adjunct of plenty of hot coffee, served to satisfy the crav- 
ings of the inner man, and after that there was nothing to 
do but wait for the storm to clear ; but as hour after hour 
passed on without any sign of its abating, the situation be- 
gan to grow monotonous in the extreme. 

We had no reading matter, and, besides, our stock of 
firewood was low, and we dared not exhaust it, not knowing 
how long the storm might last ; and though the camp was 
beginning to get damp and chilly, we knew that it was bet- 
ter to suffer some discomfort now than to be without fire 
at dinner time or at night ; for unless there should be a 
sudden change in the weather we should not be able to 
leave camp at all for the day. 

We amused ourselves for awhile by watching the gulls 
that were swarming into the upper part of the lake, where 
a flock of several hundred soon congregated, breasting the 
large waves, apparently unconcerned at the roughness of 
the water. Tiring of this and with watching the breakers 
roll in upon the foam-flecked beach, we turned anxiously 
to the clock, noting the minutes as they dragged themselves 
slowly away, for Billy had prophisied that on the noontide 
the wind would probably go down. 

Twelve o'clock came, but with it no abatement of the 
storm, the wind seeming to blow fiercer than ever and the 
rain to Hterally pour down in floods. We prepared our 
dinner without the aid of a fire, preferring to save our scant 
supply of fuel till evening. This necessitated our going 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 



93 



without coffee, but water was to be had in abundance, and 
we managed to get along very well on that. 

Our frugal repast soon ended, we spent a social half- 
hour or so in smoking and chatting together and listening 
to the fierce gusts of wind that threatened every minute to 
strip the entire covering of branches from off our roof, 
which if carried into effect meant lots of hard work for us ; 
for the only implement we possessed with which to put 
them back again or to cut new ones with was a small shin- 
gling hatchet, and dull at that, and, besides, the branches 
had already become so denuded of their foliage that we 
doubted much as to their being of any value by the time 
the storm was over. It was therefore in a not very aimable 
frame of mind that we listened to the howling and shriek- 
ing of the gale, which at one o'clock seemed to have taken 
a fresh hold, and bade fair to outdo all its previous efforts 
of the morning. As the monotony of the thing grew upon 
us we began to feel sleepy, and at two o'clock, the storm 
still raging as hard as ever, we turned in, hoping to secure 
an hour or two of sleep, and was immediately followed by 
Tramp, who curled himself up close beside us and was soon 
snoring contentedly. We lay awake some minutes listen- 
ing to the battling of the elements and chaffing back and 
forth with Billy, who was still puffing away at his pipe, and 
then we too fell asleep. 

We were awakened about three o'clock or a little after 
by Billy coming into the room wrapped in his big coat, 
who imparted the joyful intelligence that the weather was 
clearing, and that he had been out to the " blind " and 



94 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

righted things up a Httle, and that the storm had not done 
any serious damage beyond what we could repair in an 
hour or two the next day ; also that he had seen what ap- 
peared to be a large flock of black ducks alight in the 
lake several hundred yards to the windward of the camp. 

Taking the field glass, Billy again disappeared outside 
the shanty, returning a few minutes later with the informa- 
tion that the ducks could now be plainly seen, and that 
they were swimming in our direction. We decided at once 
to get into the " blind " and try our luck in putting out the 
decoys ; for if the wind kept on diminishing in force we 
should soon have a comparatively lee shore. We got out 
of the shanty as quietly as possible, and crept along the 
narrow path that led to the " blind " not daring to show 
our heads above the bushes that lined our way, as the ducks 
were now directly in range ; and reaching the " blind," fet- 
tered two of the decoys and managed to get them out into 
the water, and by throwing stones at them would get an oc- 
casional quack out of them, more from anger, we presume 
than from any other cause. It was decoying under diffi- 
culties, but anything that had an element of sport or excite- 
ment in it was better than this enforced idleness of the past 
few hours, and we welcomed the change, whatever might 
be the result. By turning the field-glass upon the 'blind" 
at Annable's Point, we could see that the waves were break- 
ing clear over the top, thus barring out the gunneij 
there from indulging in any shooting for the present. 
Bliss's Point and Coleman's Island w^re apparently de- 
serted, and we were left sole possessors of the field, or 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 95 



more properly speaking the flood. As the ducks swam 
slowly up the lake, every minute bringing them nearer our 
position, it soon became apparent that they had seen our 
decoys, and once the whole flock headed towards us and 
for a few moments swam steadily in our direction, causing 
our hopes to soar high in anticipation of the coveted shot. 
Then they suddenly became suspicious and turned off. We 
threw a couple of birds from the stand, hoping to allay 
their fears, which as soon as they struck the water, with 
great presence of mind deliberately swam ashore and 
crawled up in the bushes. This was rather, more than we 
could submit to tamely, especially in view of the fact that a 
large flock of ducks was within two hundred yards of us 
though we doubt not the provocation on the part of the 
birds in acting as they did was great ; and we sent a shower 
of stones and invectives after them in a vain attempt to 
drive them back into the water ; but what we could not ac- 
complish, Tramp could, and taking in the situation at a 
glance, he darted past us out of the " blind " and along the 
shore into the bushes where the offending deeoys lay con- 
cealed, and drove them pirfjrcti into their native eleaient, 
where they remained, having caught sight of their wild 
brethren, and immediately began challenging them to a 
closer acquaintance. 

The next few moments were passed between alternat- 
ing hope and fears, as the ducks were now apparently hold- 
ing a consultation as to whether they should interview us 
more closely or not. It was evident that they would not 
remain much longer where they were, as the water was too 



96 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

rough. It was a critical moment, and we threw decoys at 
short intervals until the last one was out of the box. As 
the last bird touched the water a portion of the flock sepa- 
rated from their companions and flew straight in for the 
decoys and alighting some fifty yards distant, swam up to 
the windward side of the "blind," but finding the water too 
rough to draw in to the decoys from that side, allowed 
themselves to gradually drift to leeward, giving us a very 
fair quartering shot as they came in, considering the rough- 
ness of the water. There were about a dozen birds in the 
bunch, and our nerves were strung to the highest pitch of 
excitement and enthusiasm as simultaneously our guns rang 
out in one long, reverberating report. Through the smoke 
that wafted upward we caught a momentary glimpse of 
vanishing forms, and again the breech-loaders rang out 
their clarion notes, but failed to score, though as the smoke 
rolled away we found that we had stopped five at the first 
discharge, which was not so bad. Tramp retrieved the 
ducks for us, breasting the dashing waves in gallant style 
until he had laid the last of our trophies at our feet. We 
now turned our attention to the decoys, and got them all 
in and safely housed by exercising considerable patience 
with them, as the dashing of the spray on the beach tended 
to make them wild. This duty attended to we repaired to 
the shanty and consulted as to whether we should remain 
in camp over night or attempt to cross the lake in the 
boat. 

We were not in the best of shape for spending a com- 
fortable night in camp, owing to our scarcity of firewood 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 97 



and the fact that the weather was clearing to the northwest 
and bade fair to be cold before morning ; besides our larder 
needed replenishing, and we knew the folks at home would 
be somewhat anxious about us. Billy was the sailor, so we 
deferred to his judgment in all matters concerning wind 
and weather ; and after carefully noting the aspect of the 
sky and water he finally decided that it was bafe enough to 
make the passage, and that if we were going we ought to 
get an early start. Our preparations were soon made, and 
locking up the camp we went down to the shore to the 
spot where we had left the boat, and found her all right 
with the exception of being about half full of water from 
the effects of the rainstorm through which we had just 
passed. A vigorous use of the bailer served to lighten her 
to that extent where our combined efforts enabled us to tip 
her sufficiently to allow the rest of the water to escape, and 
then righting her we stowed away our luggage, and launch- 
ing her, jumped in, with Billy at the oars, and were scud- 
ding away towards the distant shore before a fresh north- 
west breeze. 

We found the water smoother than we had anticipated, 
and, guided and propelled by Billy's powerful strokes, the 
boat went along at a good rate of speed, and just as the 
sun was sinking behind the western hilltops we ran in under 
the lee of Coleman's Island, and a few minutes later 
reached the shore. Leaving the boat so that we should be 
sure to find it all right in the morning, we picked up our 
game, and shouldering our guns walked up to the village, 
where we found our friends anxiously awaiting our arrival. 



CHAPTER VIII. 




(^^^(^^/%/ E had agreed on separating, for the night that 
unless the weather should prove mild in the 
morning we would not make an early start 
back to camp but would wait until late in 
the forenoon which would give us time to take things easy 
on the return trip and still get into camp in time for the 
afternoon flight of ducks, if indeed we were fortunate en- 
ough to get a flight, the wind having blown from the east 
so long and with such violence that Billy was not very san- 
guine as to our chances being very good for getting any 
good shooting for at least a day or two, as any flight of 
ducks caught in the wake of the storm would very likely 
have gone by, and in such a case we might have to wait 
days before having any luck at all. It was therefore with 
not very buoyant feelings that we awoke next morning to 
the sound of rain beating against the windows, accompanied 
by the same boisterous wind that had greeted our ears for 
so many hours. It was the same old northeaster, having 
abated a little of its fury the preceding evening only to 
take a fresh hold in the morning. Our acquaintance with 
this kind of weathei along the Cape Cod coast told us that 
we would not look for any propitious time in which to 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 99 



cross the lake unless it be late in the afternoon or evening, 
and then the chances were against us, owing to the heavy 
sea which would be undoubtedly running, making it ex- 
ceedingly risky for two men to attempt to make the pas- 
sage in a small boat. We therefore endeavored to take a 
philosophical view of the situation and attempt to get some 
sleep of which we rather stood in need at this time. Sleep- 
ing, however, soon becomes monotonous to one who has 
only a short vacation and is bent on shooting ducks, and so 
we found it, and after a late breakfast we looked about us 
for some more active pursuit with which to engage the time 
until the storm should have spent its force, but the field of 
operations was limited in the extreme and we were fain to 
remain indoors and chafe impatiently at the delay and be- 
rate our illfortune. What made it more exasperating, was 
the fact that our time was limited to a few days, and had 
everything worked favorably during the previous days we 
should now have been ready to go home, as it was we were 
dissatisfied and not ready to give it up without making a 
good bag of ducks. Several times during the day we were 
on the point of packing up and taking the train for home, 
as the storm seemed rather to increase in violence instead 
of abating ; but we finally compromised the affair by tele- 
graphing regarding the advisability of staying a few days 
longer, and getting a favorable reply our spirits rose some- 
what. 

The boys being better provided with waterproof cloth- 
ing than we. started out towards noon on a turtle hunt in 
the neighboring swamps, and returned later in the day 



lOO SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

pretty thoroughly wet and bedraggled, having had lots of 
fun, and bringing with them one large turtle as a trophy. 
Th6 turtle furnished us with some amusement by his un- 
gain movements and sulky disposition, showing a disposi- 
tion to snap at and devour everything that came withm his 
reach. He was off his native heath and seemed instinc- 
tively to know that he was surrounded by enemies. We 
did not care to cultivate his acquaintance too closely as he 
was an ugly looking chap, though invited by the boys to 
lift him up by the tail and put our fingers in his mouth, and 
do sundry other things boys delight to see someone else do. 
There is an old saying among turde hunters that if you put 
your finger in one's mouth the turtle will not let go until 
it thunders ; as this was not just the season for thunder 
showers we concluded to give the turtle the benefit of the 
doubt, fearing that we should have to wait too long before 
arriving at a satisfactory conclusion ; if, however, any of 
our readers desire to make the test they can no doubt find 
opportunities in which to satisfy there curiosity. 

The first signs of clearing weather cam.e about three 
o'clock, and in the course of another hour the sun was 
shining and the last of the storm clouds were scudding 
away before a fresh northwest breeze. Starting across the 
fields to Billy's house we found him making active prepara- 
tions for a start back to camp early in the evening, so hast- 
ening home again we partook of an early supper, and hav- 
ing supplied ourselves with provisions enough to last us for 
two or three days, again started campward, picking up 
Billy and his faithful dog Tramp on the way. We reached 



IN EASTERN WATERS. lOI 



the shore of the lake just as the moon was shedding a mel- 
low radiance over lake and wood, and causing the dew- 
drops on the maples and birches that lined the shore, to 
glisten like gems of the purest water. We stopped a few 
moments to enjoy the quiet scene spread out before us and 
to rest ourselves somewhat from our long tramp, and then 
gathering a good supply of firewood, with which the shore 
was plentifully sprinkled, we placed our belongings in the 
light skiff and with Billy at the oars pushed out from shore 
and shaped our course for Stony Point. The lake was 
smooth, hardly a ripple to mar its surface, all trace of the 
storm, which but a few hours before had swept its surface 
with such violence, having entirely disappeared, so that 
under the impetus of Billy's powerful strokes we soon made 
the opposite shore, and running well in under the over- 
hanging mantle of green, skirted the shore along for several 
rods, until the white silvery beach of Stony Point loomed 
up ghostly in the moonlight before us, when a quick turn 
of the paddle sent the light boat to land. It was but the 
work of a few minutes to unload and carry up to the shanty 
our light cargo, and then hastily concealing the boat we 
hastened inside the camp and had a roaring fire gomg, 
over which we brewed steaming cups of savory coffee, which 
served to dissipate the chill and frost which somehow had 
crept into our bones during our moonlight trip across the 
lake. After that a social pipe and then the inevitable story 
telling with which our friend always regaled us, and which 
we looked forward to as the one most agreeable and fitting 
finale to the day's doings, and not least among the pleasant 



I02 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 



remembrances of our life at Stony Point are the evening 
hours before the campfire, when recHning in the cosiest 
corner of the camp, with Tramp stretched out by our side, 
we watched the flickering fireHght cast its grotesque and 
fantastic shadows along the wall, throwing an occasional 
fitful gleam upon Billy's weather-beaten face, as pipe in 
mouth and snugly ensconced in his tavorite chair before 
the fire, he related to us his marvelous tales of field and 
flood. That evening we had an interruption in the way 
of visitors from a neighboring camp, and had scarcely set- 
tled down to our evening pipes when we heard the dip of 
paddles and a moment later the sound of a boat's keel 
grating on the pebbly shore. Springing to our feet and 
throwing open the shanty door we greeted the newcomers 
with a hearty welcome, receiving from them in turn a ring- 
ing shout, as having drawn their boat well up out of the 
reach of the waves, they made their way towards us. As 
they stepped from out the darkness of the forest into the 
narrow circle of light thrown out by our solitary lantern, 
we found one of the two men to be an old acquaintance, 
Mr. George Bearse, and the other a hunting companion of 
his, who for the time being were occupying the camp at 
Bliss's Point, nearly opposite the spot where we were en- 
camped. Our invitation to come inside and share the hos- 
pitality which our camp afforded was warmly accepted, and 
having thrown on more fuel and refilled the pipes all 
around, the remainder of the evening was passed in social 
chat, the conversation naturally turning to ducks and duck 
shooting, a subject upon which every member present could 



IN EASTERN WATERS. IO3 



say something of interest to the others, so varied had been 
our several experiences, Billy throwing in at the last mo- 
ment, by way of variety, a thrilling account of a bear hunt 
in the Carolina swamps. The time having arrived when 
our friends must depart we accompanied them to the shore 
and bidding them good night watched them until their boat 
became but a speck in the darkness and the dip of the re- 
ceding paddles were but faintly borne to our ears, then re- 
tracing our steps to camp made all snug and safe for the 
night preparatory to turning into our cosy bunks. Billy, 
whose sense of humor never left him, whether wet or dry, 
cold or hungry, always attended to this duty with great 
punctiliousness, seeing to it personally that the door and 
windows were strongly barricaded before retiring for the 
night, in order to keep out tramps, as he was wont to face- 
tiously remark, though to our mind it was extremely doubt- 
ful if any of these nondescript gentlemen had ever paid a 
visit to Stony Point. Finally, every detail attended to, we 
wrapped ourselves in our blankets and lay down to sleep, 
trusting to the little alarm clock to wake us at four in the 
morning. Billy was usually the first one to awaken, he, 
like all sailors, sleeping with one eye open, and it was the 
noise occasioned by his bustling around the camp that 
brought us out of a peaceful slumber shortly after the ap- 
pointed hour. Hastily donning our heavy clothing we 
joined Billy in the main room of the camp, which served 
alike as kitchen, dining and general lounging room, and 
having lighted the oil stove soon had coifee hot, a cup of 
which was partaken of by both of us, and we were ready 



104 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

once more to take our positions in the *• blind," where we 
were noisly welcomed by our aquatic friends and allies, the 
decoys. We found the air decidedly chill and frosty, with 
a light breeze from the northwest blowing down the lake 
and from our corner of the *' blind " we could watch the 
stars gleaming brightly through the interlacing branches of 
the maples and birches, turning each dewdrop into a spark- 
ling gem, as with senses keenly alert we listened for the first 
sound of ducks. We were not kept long in waiting, for 
presently there was borne to our ears the faint flutter of 
wings followed by a light splash ; and at the same moment 
the decoys set up a lively quacking, conveying to us the in- 
formation that they, too, had noticed the new arrivals. It 
being not yet light enough to shoot with any degree of ac- 
curacy, we made no attempt at bringing them in closer, 
feeling assured that the decoys would hold them where they 
were until the light of the already advancing dawn should 
enable us to discover their exact position when, barring ac- 
cident, it would be an easy matter to bring them near 
enough for a successful shot, consequently we set ourselves 
down to wait for the first stroke of daylight to appear, ever 
and anon peering through the port-holes from our respec- 
tive corners in the "blind," each eager to be the first to 
discover the whereabouts of our feathered game and won- 
dering if daylight would ever come. At last a low whisper 
from Billy's corner tells us that our friend has sighted the 
quarry, and creeping silently to his side and following the 
direction in which his finger points, we can just discover in 
the uncertain light a srnall dark object some seventy or 



IN EASTERN WATERS. 105 



eighty yards distant upon the water which long experience 
tells us is a bunch of ducks. A few moments more, and so 
fast does the light increase that we are enabled by the help 
of the glass to make them out distinctly, and are gratified 
to learn that they are black ducks, five in number and that 
their attention is already turned towards our decoys, who 
from time to time issue forth a low, cooing sound, well 
calculated to dispel any lingering suspicion of danger that 
might possibly lurk in the breast of their wilder brethren. 
Creeping noiselessly back to our old position in the further 
corner of the "blind," from a convenient port-hole of which 
we can watch every movement of the birds, we somewhat 
impatiently await events. Will they swim in nearer or will 
they remain stationary, preferring a wide reach of open 
water to the possible dangers that may be hidden near the 
shore, or will some luckier sportsman in a neighboring 
camp, having brought his game well within range of his 
breech-loader and not knowing of our anticipations, or 
totally regardless of the same, fire the shot that shall send 
our birds scurrying away on rapid wings to be seen no more 
by us that day, or will some careless act on our part or un- 
toward movement among the decoys serve to awaken a 
suspicion amcmg the ducks, which once aroused we know 
full well will prevent our securing the coveted shot ? These 
and other thoughts of a like nature flit rapidly through our 
brain as we crouch low in our narrow hiding place and 
anxiously await the next movements of the game. At 
length, after what seems to us an interminable length of 
time, but which in reality has been but a few minutes, the 



I06 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING * 

birds, apparently thoroughly convinced of their safety and 
desiring to make a closer acquaintance with their brethren 
near the shore, commence to swim slowly in towards the 
decoys. A few minutes later and the required distance has 
been lessened and they are within range and directly be- 
neath our guns. Slowly they draw together, presenting a 
fine shot and the supreme moment for us has arrived. 
Billy gives the signal, we take quick aim and fire together, 
and as the smoke clears away five glossy forms are stretched 
out upon the water as the result of our patience and skill. 
Tramp gleefully springs to the door of the "blind" anxious 
to perform his part, and striking boldly out retrieves them 
one after the other, his face wearing a proud look of satis- 
faction as he lays them at our feet. After duly inspecting 
the birds, which prove to be in fine condition, we again 
turn our attention to the business in hand, it by this time 
being light enough to enable us to see all over the lake. 
No ducks being in sight we improve the opportunity of in- 
dulging in a little exercise of which we stand in need after 
our enforced quietude of the past hour, and by the time 
the sun, rising like a globe of fire from behind the highest 
point of the eastern hills, throws its first rays athwart the 
dancing waves, we are well warmed up and are back in our 
old places with field-glass in hand, and once more eagerly 
scanning the surface of lake and sky for any sign of ducks, 
but we were not privileged to secure another shot at our 
favorite game on this particular morning, our only remain- 
ing shot being at a sheldrake, which Billy considerately al- 
lowed us to bag unaided, and under circumstances so pe- 



IN EASTERN WATERS. IO7 



culiar that we deem the narration of sufficient importance 
to be recorded here. The morning was well advanced 
when we first discovered him a mere speck on the water, 
and so far distant that the glass failed to reveal his true 
identity as he gradually worked his way down the lake, 
drifting before the wind. We made several attempts to at- 
tract his attention by the aid of the decoys, until having 
shown as plainly by his movements that he was not the 
game we were after, we gave him up as a bad job, but as 
events proved he was not to be shaken off so easily, and 
having been attracted towards our decoys he evinced an 
evident inclination to become better acquainted with them, 
and altering his course, with head erect and every sense 
alert, he bore rapidly down in our direction. The decoys, 
noting the approach of the stranger, set up a most vocif- 
erous quacking as if to frighten away the intruder, but in- 
stead of taking alarm he only swam the more boldly 
towards us, uttering a well simulated quack in response to 
each scornful cry of the decoys. As this was the first oc- 
casion on which we had ever heard a sheldrake quack, the 
whole procedure afforded us no little amusement, and in 
fact we have never heard one do so since, though we have 
gunned them successfully for a good many seasons, and be- 
lieve the case to be one of rare occurrence ; neither, as a 
rule, will they come to live decoys other than their own 
species. The confiding nature of this particular bird, how- 
ever, proved to be his ruin, as he was promptly gathered to 
his fathers, serving later on as the basis of an excellent duck 
stew. 



Io8 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

The episode of the sheldrake thus disposed of and a 
careful scrutiny of the lake with the glass revealing no sign 
of ducks, we decided to take in the decoys and proceed to 
get our breakfast, it now being nine o'clock in the fore- 
noon, and we as yet having had nothing more substantial 
than a cup of coffee. It was the work of but a few mo- 
ments to feed and house the ducks, then repairing to the 
camp we soon had a fire started and shortly after sat down 
to an excellent breakfast. The wants of the inner man now 
satisfied and the remains of the breakfast cleared away. 
Billy proposed that we make an excursion to the neighbor- 
ing shore in search of firewood and also to procure some 
branches of greesn stuff with which to repair the damage 
done to the outside of the camp and "blind" by the late 
storm. Accordingly about two hours before noon we set 
out, taking our guns along, and with Billy at the oars, though 
had we known that a worse gale than any we had as yet 
experienced was already on its way and would undo all our 
hard labor, it is doubtful if we should have left camp at all 
that day ; but there we no signs of storm lurking in that 
bright, beautiful October air, and it was with light hearts, 
therefore, that we started on our voyage to the mainland. 
Skirting along the eastern shore of the lake we reached the 
entrance to Quauk Island Pond, and entering upon that 
beautiful expanse of water and closely hugging the shore 
soon reached the place where Billy said we were to stop, 
and turning the boats prow to land we ran in under an 
overhanging branch of a sturdy maple and making the boat 
secure picked up our guns and axes, and followed by 



IN EASTERN WATERS. TO9 



Tramp, stepped ashore and made our way into the forest. 
We did not have far to go before finding what we wished, 
and by making dihgent use of our axes soon had a boat 
load of the desired material with which to patch up the ex- 
terior of the "blind" and also to furnish us with firewood 
for several days. It took us several trips to carry it all 
down to the shore and warm work it was too, as the Octo- 
ber sun was hot at mid-day even here within the forest. It 
was done finally, however, after considerable puffing on our 
part, Billy having the good luck on the last trip to shoot a 
partridge. Sitting down on shore we rested a bit and then 
proceeded to load the boat, and having trimmed it nicely 
so there could be no danger of capsizing on the return 
voyage, we pushed out from shore shortly after noon and 
commenced our homeward trip. We found quite a strong 
wind blowing when we entered the lake, which caused our 
little craft to rock and sway about some, but under Billy's 
skilful pilotage we reached the camp safely without acci- 
dent. Dinner was now the next thing in order, which we 
quickly prepared and disposed of, and then we at once set 
to work to repair the camp. This, it took us most of 
the afternoon to accomplish, and we had scarcely put the 
finishing touches to our work when a pair of black ducks 
flying by directly over us warned us that if we expected to 
take any part in the afternoon flight it was high time we 
were about it. Hatchets and saws were accordingly 
promptly put away and a few minutes later found us in the 
"blind," with decoys in position and but one object in view 
and that to kill a black duck. We watched the afternoon 



no SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 



fade into evening twilight and still no ducks came our way, 
though an occasional boom borne across the water from 
the direction of Coleman's Island, told us that our friend 
Gardner was having some luck. Twilight faded into dark- 
ness and one by one the stars began to make their apear- 
ance and yet we were loth to give it up. Finally Billy de- 
cided that it was useless to wait longer and was about to 
take in the decoys, when a sudden movement in their 
midst caused us to relinquish our purpose for the time 
being, and a moment later we had the satisfaction of seeing 
a pair of ducks swim noiselessly in to the decoys. Finding 
that we could not catch the sights on our gun owing to the 
fast gathering darkness, we whispered to Billy, who stood 
in a position better exposed to what Uttle light yet re- 
mained, to shoot regardless of us, and a moment later the 
report of his gun rang out upon the evening air, awakening 
the echoes among the neighboring hills. The report of the 
gun was followed by a splashing in the water as of escaping 
birds, and quickly springing to the boat and taking Tramp 
with us we pulled rapidly to the spot as near as we could 
determine where we last heard the ducks. We pulled 
about for some minute before getting any track of our birds 
and then came suddenly upon them, they at once taking 
wing and giving us no chance for anything but a snap shot, 
which we took, sending the contents of both barrels of our 
breechloader after them. By this time the darkness was 
intense, and after pulling about for several minutes and Hst- 
ening intently for any sound that might help us to locate 
them we were obliged to give them up and return to camp 



IN EASTERN WATERS. Ill 

empty handed, Billy being of the opinion, however, that 
they were hard hit and that with the aid of Tramp he could 
find them in the morning somewhere about the shore. 
Getting the decoys housed for the night once more we pro- 
ceeded to get supper, and being pretty well tired out after 
our day's toil, retired early. 

We were awake early next morning and again doing 
sentry duty, but though we saw some ducks we failed to 
secure a shot, and about seven o'clock Billy announced his 
intention of leaving us alone in the ''blind" while he, ac- 
companied by Tramp, took the boat and crossed to the 
eastern shore to institute a search for the ducks we had 
crippled the evening before. Accompanying him as far 
as the spot where the boat lay moored, we watched him 
well across the lake and then returning to the "blind " took 
up our lonely watch. About half an hour passed when we 
heard the report of both barrels of Billy's gun in quick suc- 
cession, and not long after the dip of oars announcad the 
return of the hunter. Stepping out on the shore to meet 
him and peering into the bottom of the boat we were grati- 
fied to see lying there the dark, mottled forms of the 
ducks, which Billy had found as he had anticipated, skulk- 
ing among the reeds which lined the eastern shore. 

We now decided, as the weather was favorable, to 
make a trip to the village, we being somewhat anxious to 
receive letters which we expected were awaiting our arrival 
there, and Billy having some matters at home which needed 
his attention ; our plan being to return in the evening for a 
final try at the ducks on the following day, that being the 



112 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 



last of our vacation. Our preparations were quickly made, 
and we were soon scudding along before a brisk northerl}'- 
wind, which was destined to become a hurricane before the 
day was done. Gaining the opposite shore without inci- 
dent we wended our v/ay to the village, and taking leave of 
Billy at his house we agreed to call for him at six o'clock 
that evening, and going from thence to the post office we 
found the expected letters had arrived and having received 
them, together with copies of the morning papers, we 
passed the remainder of the day quietly in reading and in 
getting in touch again with the outside world. Shortly 
after noon the wind began to increase in violence accom- 
panied by rain, and the prospect of getting back to camp 
looked dubious. By six o'clock, however, the hour agreed 
upon for starting, the rain had ceased, though the wind 
still blew a gale. We decided to start, though looking 
back now upon that night we cannot but feel that it was a 
foolhardy undertaking on our part, for which we were prin- 
cipally to blame, Billy no doubt deciding against his better 
judgment in order to give us one more chance for a shot. 
After floundering about in the woods for some time, part 
of the time in the path and at others out of it, for it was 
intensely dark, we at last came out upon the shore of the 
lake on the very spot where we had left our boat in the 
morning. Looking out upon the lake the prospect was 
anything but inviting, and Billy cast many an anxious eye 
to the windward before launching his frail craft. The 
waves were running high and breaking with an angry roar 
upon the beach, and it was only after repeated attempts 



IN EASTERN WATERS. II3 



that we got away from the shore ; once afloat it was com- 
paratively easy work until we reached the end of Coleman's 
Island, whose fir-clad shore loomed up before us a mighty 
bulwark between us and the fury of the waves. Once clear, 
however, of its protecting shore we felt the full violence of 
the gale and the little boat commenced to dance and rock, 
shipping water at nearly every stroke of the oars. To add 
to our discomfort the rain now commenced to pour in tor- 
rents, drenching us to the skin, still we kept bravely on, 
our only safety lying in keeping the boat out of the trough 
of the sea and working to the windward as fast as we were 
able. Many times it was impossible to tell whether or not 
we were making any progress, and had an oar blade 
snapped we probably should never have reached Stony 
Point ; but the trusty ash did its duty nobly and thanks to 
Billy's skill and coolness we finally ran in under the wind- 
ward shore where the water was smoother, and catching 
hold of an overhanging branch we swung the boat into 
comparatively still water, where we rested our tired muscles 
for a few minutes and succeeded, by diligent use of the 
bailer, in freeing the boat of most of the water we had 
shipped in our voyage across the lake. Starting again and 
keeping well under the lee of the shore we made much bet. 
ter progress, and after awhile managed to sight through the 
darkness the outline of Stony Point, stretching out a pro- 
tecting arm into the night, beckoning us to safety and shel- 
ter. Never did the grating of a boat's keel upon the sand 
give us such a thrill of pleasure as when a few minutes later 
our little bark reached the coveted shore, and springing 



114 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 



out we landed on terra firma. Dragging the boat well up 
6n the shore we made our way at once to the shanty and 
attempted to start a fire ; most of our firewood had been 
exposed to the rain and it was some time before we could 
coax a blaze, but finally we succeeded in doing so and di- 
vesting ourselves of the wettest of our clothing tried to dry 
it before the fire while we set about to prepare supper. 
Scarcely had we seated ourselves to our evening meal when 
Billy, chancing to look overhead in the direction of the 
stove, discovered the upper part of the shanty to be on fire. 
Some defect in the pipe had caused a spark to ignite the 
dry material of which the loft was composed. For a mo- 
ment we looked at each other in consternation, for to be 
burned out on such a night as this meant serious conse- 
quences to us both, but fortunately water was handy and in 
abundance and we lost no time in drenching the building 
withit, so that in a few minutes we had the fire all out, and 
finishing our meal and making sure that there was no dan- 
ger of the fire breaking out again we turned into our blank- 
ets and slept soundly, having had our fill of adventures for 
one day. We awoke on the last morning of our stay in 
camp to find Stony Point an island, in fact it had been one 
practically for a week or more, the water of the lake having 
been continually rising for some time, but the storm of the 
previous day and night, for it had rained hard nearly all 
through the night, had raised the water so high that we 
were completely cut off from the mainland and Billy had to 
bring his hip waders into requisition in order to get to the 
boat, which he found about half full of water. He succeded 



IN EASTERN WATERS. I15 



in tipping her over far enough to allow the water to escape, 
and then pulling her up to the shanty fastened her at the 
door so that we would not be obliged to swim when we got 
ready to break camp. As soon as it was light enough to 
see to shoot we waded out into the " blind," where we 
found about two feet of water over everything and gaining 
every moment in depth. We decided, however, to stop a 
little while, and putting out the decoys patiently awaited 
developments. A glance around the lake showed the 
"blinds" at the other camps to be in as bad condition as 
ours with no sign of life emanating from them, and we con- 
cluded that we were the only ones that had sand enough to 
be duck shooting on a morning like this. We stayed long 
enough to kill a pair of black ducks which came whistling 
through the " blind " with the speed ot an arrow, refusing 
to stop to the decoys, but who stopped in answer to the 
call of the breech-loaders. These Tramp retrieved for us, 
and then taking in the decoys that had been our faithful 
allies for so long, we hastened back to the shanty and com- 
menced to load our duffle into the boat ; having made sure 
that nothing had been left behind, we stepped from the 
door of the shanty into the boat, and Billy having locked 
the door, we pushed off and turned our prow homewards, 
having bade farewell to our island home. 

We crossed the lake in safety and having reached the 
landing and made the boat secure, sacked our camp equi- 
page up to the village, winding up ()ur vacation with a good 
game dinner. 



Il6 SCIENTIFIC DUCK SHOOTING 

Many things have happened since we broke camp on 
that wild and stormy morning. Tramp, the faithful re- 
triever has retrieved his last duck and has long since been 
gathered to his fathers, but his master, we are told, still 
pursues his favorite sport, and the shores of Wequaket Lake 
still wake to the echoes of his gun. Jolly, whole-souled, 
good-natured Billy, long may he wave and wherever his lot 
in life may be cast, peace and plenteous provender go with 
him. 



— »-^^. THE END. .^>o^-^* 



